


The Tiny Moments Matter

by Musical_Skater



Category: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons), Trollhunters - Daniel Kraus & Guillermo del Toro
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - College/University, Don't Judge Me, Don't look at me like that, F/M, I did this instead of sleeping, I will die with this ship ngl, MY BABIES, Multiple Perspectives, No Beta We Die Like Draal, One Shot, Wholesome, friendships, ihadtoomanyideassoimadethisinstead, jlaire, multiple au's, teenagers being teenagers, this took me longer than what I thought, well the best that magical world saving teens can
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-01-02 21:31:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 49,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21168194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Musical_Skater/pseuds/Musical_Skater
Summary: Basically, this is just a place where all my ideas for stories are going to be dumped into one place. I have so many ideas I want to write, but I can't due to me being hella fucking lazy or ADHD prone so this is where all my AU's and stuff I want to write are going to be. I'm even up for writing anything that you guys want as well. This will have multi-chapter one-shots here and there or just be plain AU one-shots a lot of the time. Either way, I hope you guys enjoy my madness. But to be honest, this is mainly just a Jlaire dump and I'm not ashamed.





	1. Please Tell Me You're Not An RA

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, my fellow nerds! Welcome to The Tiny Moments Matter! This is my one-shot series for all the ideas that I want to make stories for but don't have the time and or dedication. So this is basically just a place for me to get as many of my frantic ideas out of my head as much as possible so I don't end up only thinking of AU's and while in class or trying to write my professor's papers that she wants. This one was based off a more normal modern AU where basically it's "holy fuck you found me on the roof please don't be an RA" kind of thing.
> 
> If you guys have any suggestions on any one-shots I should write, hit me up! I'm even up for ones that would have multiple parts! But all in all though, I hope you guys enjoy it. :)

When I was a young girl, the silence of the sky had always helped me calm my mind. Just staring up at the night sky or high clouds in the bright blue mass above meant the world to me. It was those moments that I could truly be myself as well as be with my own thoughts. So even to this day as I had started my first semester at Acadia Oaks University, I had made a habit of sneaking out onto the roof of my dorm building and staring up at the stars after the RA's had made their laps around the different floors. Especially when it came to weeks like these where I was stressing myself out over exams that I knew I must have studied the topics more than I had said my own name.

So as I look up at the stars and lose myself within the silence of the dark night, it made all the anxieties of my first year's final semester's exams wash away from my shoulders.

_That was until the door flung straight fucking open._

I jumped nearly out of my skin at the sound of the metal door being pushed open. I instantly flicked my head over to see a guy I have never seen on campus before standing there. He was a tall and slim fair-skinned guy who had jet black hair that almost matched the darkness of the sky upon him and a bright blue jacket that was matched to a pair of blue jeans. The thing that caught me though was the bright blue eyes that when they looked over to me seemed to be as panicked as I was by the situation.

"Hi." The guy gave me a lopsided smile as he somehow calmly closed the door. "Um, not to frighten you, but isn't it not allowed to be up here?"

_Oh god please don't be an RA in training. I don't need to get another fucking warning and get this placed locked up like that told me they would._

"Um, not technically," I said with worry obvious in my voice. "Please tell me you're not an RA because they've been on my back about being up here and I really don't need them knowing I'm back-"

"Don't worry about it." I stopped in my tracks at the sound of his slight laughter at the end of his sentence. "I was just wondering if I would be the only on breaking the rules here."

_Thank God._

"Mind if I join you?" I gestured to the bare spot next to me with a smile.

"There's enough roof for the both of us." He smiled fully at my joke and walked over to take a seat next to me. "I'm Claire by the way."

"James. But I like to be called Jim."

"Jim it is then."

We both sat in silence for a little bit after that as both of us were staring up at the dark night sky as if it was just perfect to have our silence match the world's around us. It was a beautiful little moment. After a second thought, I realized that I really had no clue who this guy was so I took the opportunity to glance over to him to get a better view of his features. I noticed instantly that he was definitely near my age unlike some of my fellow campus dwellers. He had this familiar look to him that screamed that I knew him before. But how could I possibly ever know a guy with eyes like the ocean and forget about him so easily? I stared a little more intently to see that he had a scrape on his chin and what seemed to be a deep purple bruise on his cheek.

_Obvious why he came to the roof. He must have been running from someone. A victim to one of the sorority freshman hunts or something? Why am I so intent on this anyway? It's not like I know him at all._

But for some reason, I feel like I do. There was something about him that I couldn't shake from my brain as he sat beside me. But after a few moments, I shook my head lightly and went back to staring up at the stars. \

_If he did come here to escape whatever scrap he got into, might as well give him some peace and quiet. He deserves that at least. I doubt I'll see him ever again anyway._

What felt like at least an hour had passed before one of us decided to speak.

"So, why did you come up here?" I was almost frightened by his sudden questions when it seemed like both of us were pretty content with the silence that was built between us.

"When I was a kid, I would move a lot due to my mother being a councilwoman. Whenever she felt like the city wasn't right for her anymore, she would pack up her family and go on to the next one. The last city we moved to she's ironically still apart of the council there." I looked over to my side to see that he was listening intently to my story. He had a small smile on his face and was leaning back onto his elbows. I gave him a soft smile in return before continuing. "But being the councilwoman's daughter meant a lot of expectations were placed upon my shoulders. I had to meet a certain mark in school, do extracurriculars that gelled well with the image she wanted me to keep, as well as do the average good kid routine like taking care of my little brother." I turned back to face forward and tilted my head back to look back up to the sky.

"Whenever it got really difficult though, I would stargaze. It was just something I ended up doing whenever I got really stressed out or felt as if I needed a break from the world. Where I can be myself without all the eyes of the world being placed upon me." I looked over my shoulder once more to see a larger smile placed on my company's face. I smirked though seeing that he was finally feeling comfortable in my presence. "But what about you? What lead you up here?"

I got a soft laugh before he leaned himself back up to meet my eyes. "I got into a fight." He shrugged as he placed his elbows on his knees and played with his hands as if they were the most entertaining things in the world. "I had a hard time with bullies in high school. My best friend and I had always joked that once we hit college that we would be 'cool' in a way due to how guys like us were always told to find where they fit in once their world was expanded a little. But it seems all those stories of finding where you belong in college don't always end very well for people that have always seemed to have bad luck." He looked back up to the sky as if he was staring off into his memories.

"In high school, there was this guy named Steve that would always torment me. Especially when my best friend let it slip that I had a thing for this girl that never noticed my existence. Every day he would find something to mess with me on or find some way to get away with pushing me around. I thought it would end after we graduated, but it seemed like he had the same idea about coming here to stay closer to home for college." I watched him sigh before looking back over to me. "I found him messing around with some guy that was not even half his size and I just felt that if he was going to pick on anyone, it might as well be me. The guys seemed to already be going through hell with how he was shaking in his boots about the situation, so I stepped right up and told him politely to fuck off." I couldn't help but laugh at that as he glanced over and gave me a smile.

"Sorry, continue." He shook his head lightly before getting back to his story.

"It took him a second to realize who I was, but after he did we instantly got in a little tussle after I said he should be in a muffler shop instead of wasting his time in a college he'll probably drop from and well, he basically went straight for dropping me." He shrugged as if that part had meant nothing before waving his hand in a circle. "Etcetera, etcetera, found a staircase while I was running away and took it all the way up here." He gave me a lopsided smile once more, but this time it had this dorky like vibe to the way that he presented himself. It made his rough-looking features from his little fight seem soft under the moonlight which together made me smile in return.

_God, please tell me I'm not somewhat falling for a guy I have just met. I thought I was smarter than that._

"You said you were staying close to home for college, so that means you're from Arcadia Oaks, right?" He gave me a nod.

"Born and raised. You're from there too?"

"Yeah. I moved here a couple of years ago and went to Arcadia Oaks High." He gave me wide eyes in reply.

"Seriously? I did too! You said your name was Claire, right? As in Claire Nuñez?"

"Yep. That's me. You said you were Jim. I don't think I remember anyone of that name though." He just gave me a shy smile as shrugging his shoulders.

"I kind of kept to myself a lot. No big deal. I just remember you because my best friend's girlfriend bought up your name a lot. She said you were one of her best friends. Don't know how I didn't connect the dots earlier though, but I blame the idea I had my head a little scrambled by the punch I took." I laughed a little at his joke before nudging him with my shoulder.

"It explains why you looked familiar though. What was her name by the way?"

"Darci Scott." My eyes went wide at the name.

"No way! You're Toby's best friend? How did I never notice? No wonder why you looked so familiar! You got rid of your old blue sweatshirt." He laughed heartily at my response.

"That's what you remember of me? My faded blue sweatshirt?"

"Hey, don't judge me. You almost always wore it."

"Says the one that wore the same purple and black blazer everywhere."

"Hey!" I made sure that I sounded offended before letting my voice soften in my next response. "It was comfy." That got a true laugh from Jim. He placed a hand in his hair as his laugh reduced to a chuckle.

"I needed a good laugh. Thank you for that." I smiled as his blue eyes met mine once more.

_No wonder. He's James Lake Junior. The guy that I had the slightest_ _of crushes on in high school. I was always a sucker for the blue eyes that he was blessed with. Darci used to make fun of me stating that he was just as scared to talk to me as I was to speak to him, but I never believed her. Yet at this moment, I could never understand why I was so frightened to say anything to him in high school. Probably because I had a bad history with liking the one guy that didn't have a thing for me back._

_But damn, I'm still weak for those damned eyes._

After a moment of being lost in his presence, my phone alarm went off, indicating that it was five minutes to curfew. We both looked at each other knowing that our time was dwindling to an end.

"It's good to see you though. Even though it was obviously due to bad circumstances."

"If you're okay with it, we can continue this again."

"That would be more than okay."


	2. Morgana's Assassin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Welcome to my one-shot contraption! This chapter is an AU of my Original Knight Of Merlin AU. But in general, this one-shot has a little angst. This is based on a version of the Original Knight Of Merlin story that was the ORIGINAL idea of mine. I still love this idea and I might at some point do something more with it, but for now, here is the one-shot version of it. XD
> 
> By the way, I might be making quite a bit more of these due to how I'm trying to get back into writing my stories. I've been writing so much to help my friend out with his story that I basically forgot to write for myself and lost my flow. So here I am trying to get it back XD.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this, nevertheless!

I hear some of the stories that the other kinds and even my own had told about me. I was once a hero of both who is deemed fictional and non-fictional, but now I am a slaughterer of both. It's not my fault, but I watch myself slash my sword at those I used to protect and watch them tumble to the ground into pieces. I used to tear myself apart when it came to the beginning of this hell that I am confined to, but now I just numbed myself to the torment and keep myself distant to what my body is doing.

_I blame my hell upon the woman that entrapped me under her will._

I remember the day that everything had changed. I was only fifteen at the time, a young muggle ready to fight for the innocence that my mother and father were also sworn to protect. All I wanted was for them to be proud of me. So I picked up a sword and jumped into the fight. I trained under a wizard named Merlin beside his favorite student, Morgana.

Morgana quickly became something like my sister. I was young and naive compared to her, I was only ten when I started my training, but she loved the fact that I was "pure" in her eyes. I had yet to see the chaos of war or the corruption of power. She even swore to me that she would protect me from such things, always claiming the battlefield was no sight for a child. Especially a muggle.

Kind of ironic knowing now that I fight against my will to do her bidding.

The Battle Of Killahead was when it changed. I was asked to fight for my mother's efforts to protect our kind along with trollish, but my mother also verbalized that she hated that I was needed on the field.

_"You are my child, nothing hurts me worse than knowing the hell that awaits you in your first march." She placed her hand on my cheek and gave me a sad smile. "But you're a powerful young man. The only one of your kind to master both magic and magical defenses. We need you and I know you will do well."_

I shake my head from the memory as I felt my hands steady my sword against the young Trollhunter. She is around my original age. Sixteen, maybe if she's lucky, but Merlin's damned amulet had called upon her.

_A humanly mortal Trollhunter. Merlin's amulet had done what every being thought was unimaginable. Yet here she stands, what I believe to be the most powerful of all of them._

I watched the Trollhunter a lot more than Morgana would wish. She always claimed that I was staking out the Trollhunter for personal reasons, but I would always claim it was to understand her movements and weaknesses. But at least I can control my own body within those moments. I can't let Morgana believe I'm doing something completely unreasonable.

I felt a powerful burn summon itself within my veins and I fell to my knees only to see a flash of concern flood the Trollhunter's face. I closed my eyes and re-opened them to see Morgana floating before me.

_Speak of the devil._

"**James.**" Her voice boomed within my head and I felt myself hold my head between my hands, even though I couldn't even see myself do so within Morgana's plain. "**Stop playing games with the human. You have to slaughter her. You've killed countless of trolls that were in her position, I know you can handle this.**" She floated closer to me and put her hand on my chin so that I was staring into her eyes as I felt pain serge from where her palm was upon my skin.

"**Or I will.**"

Suddenly I was thrown back into my own body to see the Trollhunter close enough to touch. She was crouched down and trying to see if she could help.

_Problem is, no one can._

I felt another burning sensation fill my veins as I screamed out in agony.

_I've got to do something. Before I lose my own control._

I throw myself back and tumble to my feet as I looked at a worried but also panicked Trollhunter. Her eyes made me stop as I noticed a familiar look within them that made my limbs completely freeze.

_"My boy." I held my father within my lap as I tried to keep the blood gushing out of the wound within his abdomen._

_"Don't speak, father, it'll weaken you."_

_"If I don't speak now, then I may never will." I looked over to my father to see a smiling face yet worried brown eyes looking up to me. "I love you. You know that right? My son? You've made me more proud than any father could." I could see his figure blur lightly as I felt tears start to well in my eyes. The sounds of war were still deafening, but his words spoke volumes over the screams of dying men. "I wish for you to continue. Carry the legacy. Take my sword and protect those that can't protect themselves. That's what our family does, my boy. We have abilities. We must use them for the right causes."_

I stumbled once more as another surge of pain hit me through my limbs and cover most of my skin. I could see Morgana's magic flowing through my blood as it glowed beneath my skin. My armor covered most of my limbs completely, but my forearms weren't shielded.

"Great Scott! I have never seen this happen to Morgana's Assassin. It looks, it looks as if he's possessed!" I growled as a voice I remembered from my childhood rung from the right side of the field.

_Blinky, still afraid of battle, I see. I swear, if it wasn't for this helmet, he would be speechless upon seeing my face._

"**No time to wait! Her accomplishes are here! End it! NOW!**" I felt myself grab my father's sword, the one I swore to protect the innocent with, be held before me as if I killed many before the young woman before me.

_Well, probably because I have._

I felt myself lunge at the human before she threw herself back a good couple feet away from where my slash landed.

"I don't want to hurt you! I know that Morgana has control over you! We can help." I felt a growl grow under my breath.

_She wouldn't be able to help me. I've been trapped within this routine for three hundred years! There was no saving me from Morgana. There was no saving my soul._

"Don't waste your breathe." I lunged once more and had my sword above my head before slamming it down to where the Trollhunter stood once more, this time cutting the ground where she stood and shattering the Earth it contacted with.

_"Poor child." I looked up to see Morgana hovering above me, her arm cradled against her chest. "I knew nothing good was going to come from you being on the field. Yes, you fought well, but you lost greatly as well." I coughed as Morgana came to Earth beside me. I was holding my side tight, I had taken a blow from Gunmar's sword straight to my side before I helped my mother banish him to the Darklands. Before I watch a Gum-Gum throw her across the land like it was nothing. Before she was stabbed by a spear to the chest._

_"In which way?" I joked as I coughed lightly between the words. Blood coming to my teeth as I did so. "My mother is dead, my father is dead, Merlin left me here to die, and I doubt you'll be able to help with your injury." I watched a knowing smirk come to her face as she let her arm hang by her side which I now noticed half of which was missing._

_"I can do much more than you deem of me, little one." She took a couple of steps closer to me and placed her hand onto my head. "So Merlin left us both, huh? Left us both to die. Did you know that he did the same with your parents?" I watched her lean down and looked me in the eyes. A smirk covered her face once more._

_"Wouldn't you love to return the favor, my brother?"_

I felt myself be thrown back into the body to feel myself being restrained from behind. "He's a lot stronger than I thou-!" I threw my head back the smashed the back of my helmet into the head of my captor. After I felt myself being released, I noticed that my vision was less constrained. My helmet must have cracked in the impact. I watched as Blinky's six eyes went wide as he saw my face.

"James?" I panicked slightly as I gripped my sword tighter within my gloved hands.

"**Foolish child! I gave you that for a reason! How stupid can you be?**"

"James? What has happened to you? I knew Barbara was searching for you, but I never of though-"

_Wait. Mother?_

"**Don't let him fool you! You and I both know that woman is dead! We both watched her die on that battlefield. He's trying to distract you.**"

"I watched my mother die! Impaled by a Gum-Gum's spear! Left with it within her chest for her to die slowly!"

"That's wrong, young Lake! She's very much alive and searching for her missing son." I screamed as I felt Morgana's magic surge through me once more.

"**YOUR MOTHER IS DEAD! We both know this to be true! Stop fooling around, child.**"

I clutched my head as I felt Morgana's magic flow around me. I looked up to see a tornado-like essence around me of her death magic as a concerned Blinky was now beside the Trollhunter and couple other mortals that I have gotten used to seeing on occasion. The Trollhunter's friends, as I assumed. I could tell by now that my eyes weren't the same. They also blackened whenever Morgana had strived to take control.

"I know you lost your father all those years ago, my boy, and I knew what that war was like. But that didn't mean you had to go to Morgana for-"

"She came to _me!"_ I felt myself screech as I slammed my sword down once more to crack the ground further. "I was dying! Merlin left me for dead! My father for dead! My mother for dead! I wanted to cause him hell! I wanted my revenge. He killed my family. Using war to do his bidding! To rid of his foes or those that were more powerful than him! My family paid the price. Now I pay to be able to see his head on a stake!" I felt Morgana's magic start to numb my body as a blind rage was mixing into her ability's pure darkness. I could see my veins turn to pure black as lightning started to strike from the death magic's pulse. "That damned wizard will pay for what he put my family through! He'll pay for the innocent lives he pushed toward slaughter! Once that is done, I will be free. Once that is done, I will fight for what I promised to my father."

"James, right?" I whipped my head toward the Trollhunter's voice that now neared my right side.

"CLAIRE! What are you doing!?"

"I know how you feel. This, rage, that flows through you, I understand it completely. The frustration that builds with every second knowing he's alive. I know it too well. I hate the damned wizard too." I watched as she chuckled at the thought. "But wishing death on the man will not bring back those you lost. I can't imagine the pain you feel. Losing your parents to a war and being the only one to survive? It must be an internal hell for you." She stepped closer, she was right outside of the storm that was created around me. "I've met your mother. She's a wonderful woman. A strong witch as well. She told me a lot about you. You look just like the paintings that she kept. She's never given up on you. Almost four hundred years later and she's never thought of anything else but finding you. Even claimed that she marked you at a young age to keep a bond between you two. Of a Motherhood Knot, right? On the top of your forearm?"

"**Don't listen to her, James. She-**"

"She's alive?"

"Yes! She's been helping me through all of this with the hopes to find you once again. The only thing that has kept her fighting for all of these years, was you." I felt the rage I was feeling before slowly subside as Morgana's magic still whirled wildly around me. As my anger left me, my body started to acknowledge the skin melting pain that the woman's magic was placing as it pulsed through my veins. I screamed out as I dropped to my knees once more.

"GET OUT!" I clutched my head with my left hand as I felt my chest tightened as her vicious voice filled my head.

**"YOU FORGET WHO'S INCHARGE HERE, YOUNG ONE! I'm the one that saved you. I'm the one that keeps you alive!"**

I gasped as I felt the air within my lungs leave suddenly as I started to gulp for air while my other hand instantly went to my throat. I screwed my eyes shut as I felt a burning sensation in my chest due to the lack of oxygen. I felt a hand place itself on my back as the other placed my chin back to force me to sit straight up.

"I need the serum from Dr. Lake! Now!" Almost instantly Morgana reacted.

**"Let me save you from this! They're liars. They're with _him._"**

_I would rather be with them than be on the side that murders innocence._

**"Did you forget one thing? I wasn't the one that did the killing. Your hands are as stained as mine. The blood that soaks the Earth is one that is shared. You will never be rid of me. Never in a million years. I will always be with you, James. May it be in your nightmares, the shadows that follow you, or the past that you seem to run away from as if it had never happened. I will always be here.**

_ **Always."** _

"I'm sorry about this. It'll be quick. I promise." Almost instantly, I felt something small yet decently long piece of metal sink into the exposed skin in my neck. I couldn't make a sound due to the lack of air, but I felt my eyes widen at the feeling. I looked over to the Trollhunter to see that she had a saddened look in her eyes as she pushed down on a white little extension to whatever it was that she placed into my skin. Slowly but surely, the burning sensation that came from Morgana's magic slowly faded from my system as I was able to gasp in the air around me as I watched the blackness in my veins faded from view. A purple mist came from my skin as I knew the seal that Morgana placed upon my old wound on my left side felt as if it was burning off.

** "Never forget that. No matter what happens, it wasn't just me who had slaughtered the many that came before us. I will always be apart of you, James. Rather you like it or not." **

I felt the metal piece that the young girl beside me was taken away from where it buried itself in my skin as I felt myself slump forward onto my hands. I tried to steady my breathes as I felt a hand place itself on my left shoulder.

"Are you okay?" I swallowed hard before I spoke barely above a whisper.

"As good as one can be." I shook my head slightly as I pushed myself up to a normal sitting position. I looked down at my hands and unshielded forearms. I turned my forearms up and down slowly as I watched myself actually be able to use my body effectively. Especially with the Trollhunter being to my left.

_Especially since she's within stabbing distance._

I shook my head as I looked over to the young woman beside me with an exhausted smile. "Thank you. Even after all the encounters we had where I was nearly able to take your life, you had saved me from the grasp of my ma- Well, my old master." I felt my eyebrows knit themselves in confusion as I looked at her through squinted eyes. "But I have a question. Why? Why help someone that has tried to slay you as I did those that came before you? Why help someone that nearly couldn't be helped?" This was when the Trollhunter stood up onto her feet and lent out her hand to me with a smile that spread across her face with ease.

"I made a promise to Dr. Lake that I would bring you home. I'm not one to break a promise." I felt myself smile at her words as I took her hand to help myself up as well. I realized at this point just how much shorter the human was to me as she was relatively four inches or so shorter than me.

"Well, at this point, I don't know how else to use my abilities but to lend them to you. Especially since I could never repay you for what you have done for me."

"It's nothing, honestly. You don't need to help us if you don't desire it." I shook my head at her as I bent down to pick up my sword and placed it back in it's scaffold on the left side of my hip.

"No. I have a promise of my own that I must keep. Ever since Morgana had taken advantage of my situation when I was merely a child, I never was able to keep my word. Now I must take this opportunity to makes the most of the situation at hand. I swore to protect the realm between realms. To help the next Trollhunter on their quest of saving the innocence between kinds. Since I was granted more time and another chance, I must jump towards action."

"Alright. I understood what you said, but I must say this now. We have to teach you how to speak modernly." I felt a chuckle rattle my chest in an odd but welcoming feeling.

"I would gratefully appreciate the gesture, Trollhunter." She smiled at me and stuck out her hand.

"Since we're on the same side now, you can call me Claire. Claire Nuñez."

"Then you shall call me James. James of Lake, if you may."

"How about we just call you James Lake then? Your mother goes by something of the likes anyway." I smiled at the idea.

"Gladfully." She then turned to the other four who have been watching our interaction and the small battle the came before it with a bright smile on her face.

"Alright, everyone. Good work today. I say we should get some rest." She looked over to me as she continued to speak. "Especially you. Dr. Lake said that the serum would take a toll over time due to how it's slowly extracting the dark magic out of your system." I nodded my head at the idea.

"Was already planning on the idea." She smiled at me as she started to make her way to the rest of her team.

"Let's head home guys." All of them started following her easily as she started making her way out of the forestry we were withing. I felt myself smile as I started following them instantly.

_Home? Never had such a thing in centuries. I had a dwelling. A place I would lay my head and allow darkness to take me to dreamless endeavors. But I never had a home since I was around the age of fourteen. Back when I was naturally fourteen._

I felt a stone hand engulf my shoulder entirely while the side of it rubbed against the right side of my neck. I looked over to see Blinky smiling at me with joy-filled eyes.

"It's wonderful to have you back with us, Master James." I felt a smile spread across my face.

_But it seems it had found me once again._

"It's wonderful to be back, Blinky." 


	3. The Music Within Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty so I've been addicted to the song Why by Shawn Mendes, so almost all of this chapter and some of whatever else I'm writing has been influenced by that song. I hope you guys enjoy and if you want to listen to that while reading it, it'll get you more into the mood of why I'm writing the way that I am right now. This whole idea is actually completely based on the lyrics and I hope you guys enjoy it and if so, I'm totally up for a second part. All in all, this has a musician Jim and actress Claire AU that I've been DYING to finish but now I have the fuel for it.
> 
> This is a little OOC due to the age difference and stuff, but either way, I hope you enjoy it.

_I _ _know a girl, she's like a curse  
_ _We want each other, no one will break first  
_ _So many nights, trying to find someone new  
_ _They don't mean nothing compared to her._

I wrote the last line as the bus jostled me within my seat. My best friend and manager not far from me as I hear his light snoring echoing against the window and filling the tour bus both gently as well as annoyingly. It was better than just listening to the dreading silence as I wrote within my lyric book.

_It was also better than being left alone with my thoughts as usual._

I shook my head as I decided to look out the window beside me as the rain patted delicately against the glass. It's not that I have dark thoughts. It's the fact that they always lead me to what I've been feeling as if I'm missing a piece of me. Ever since I met her it's as if all my roads lead to where we should be connected. It's been that way since we were in high school and now as twenty-four-year-olds, I find myself in the same predicament.

_I'm still the love-sick friend that's desperately wanting more as she's acting as if the signs aren't obvious. _ _Why can't we just get over ourselves? Why do we do this to each other?_

I hit my head against my notepad as I caught myself thinking the same as fucking always. Why can't I just be happy being her friend? I don't even know if she even feels the same, so why do I act as I do?

_"You're probably my favorite person." I smiled back at the Latina as she laughed at herself. "I know, I know, it's cheesy, but it's true Jim. You get me when no one else does and I appreciate it. You're always there when I need you and you don't remind me every now and again that I have a quota to meet. I love that I can be myself with you." She tucked a strand of her hair behind her hair like she would when we were teens and somehow my heart goes into overdrive all the same. I chuckled back at her as she glances up to meet my eyes. The sunset beside us makes her chocolate eyes seem as if they were melting me slowly._

_"You're my favorite person too, Claire."_

God, how was I lucky to meet her? If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be singing or writing. If it wasn't for how when we were teens that she used to push me out of my comfort zone as if the walls surrounding it were meant to be broken, I wouldn't be who I am. She talked me into acting with her to get self-confidence. She encouraged me to sing after I sang for her once out of a dare. She bought me my first lyric book with the first page being a letter of pure gratitude of me showing her something I never showed anyone else.

_She was the strength I needed to believe in myself. She was what I needed in general. Without her, I don't know where I would be._

I looked over to where Toby was sleeping once more to see him now blissfully wearing a smile as he had a blanket up to his neck.

_Where either of us would be._

Still doesn't answer why we put each other through hell all the time though. Even her friends always tell me that she's interested, yet I'm always the one worrying that she'll just brush me off.

_"Ms. _ _Nuñez_ _! Ms. _ _Nuñez_ _! Your audience would love to know if you and Jim Lake are dating?" I froze at the question as we tried to enter the car behind where she wanted to meet up after she finished up on set for her new film. I had the car door in my hand to help her get in, but now I felt as if I could freeze there for the rest of my life._

_Yet all she did was smile and wave before sliding into the car._

_A smile and a wave._

_I pulled myself together and gave them a smile before entering the car after her and closing the car door. I looked over to Claire to see that she had a beaming smile on her face._

_"Paparazzi, am I right?"_

I placed my hand on my chest as the memory flooded my brain. That was actually when I decided to try to move on past this crush that was going nowhere. But damn, try was the major word within that sentence. I knew that if I brought up my feelings to her, she would brush it off like she did with the paparazzi and I didn't want to hurt like that if I knew the outcome already. So, I became something that I regret with every piece of me.

_My eyes strained as I grabbed my phone that was vibrating on the nightstand. I picked it up and held it to my ear without seeing who was the one calling._

_"Hello?" My voice croaked as I knew I made it hoarse from the night before._

_"Jim? Where are you? Are you alright?" I smiled softly as I rubbed my eyes clean of the guck that filled the corners of them._

_"Of course I'm okay. Why do you ask?"_

_"Maybe because you were supposed to meet me here at Darci's party and you're nowhere to be seen?"_

_Fuck._

_"Fuck."_

_"Fuck indeed, mister. Please tell me you didn't forget." I pulled the sheets off me that kept me modest as I grabbed my jeans off the floor and slipped them on after putting my socks back on._

_"No, I just overslept. You of all people know what jetlag can do that to you. It's not an excuse though. I should have just sucked it up." I heard a giggle on the other line and I felt my heartbreak as I lied to her._

_"It's no big deal. Just get here soon, alright? You're the person that helps me keep my sanity when it comes to all these stuck up Hollywood people."_

_"I promise, I'll be there soon." We hung up shortly after that before I put my phone in my front pocket. I felt hand place themselves on my shoulders as I sat back down on the edge of the bed._

_"I don't know who that was, but whoever it is can wait a little longer. Right baby?" I never looked back to her as I slipped my shoes back on and picked up my button-down shirt off the floor. I slipped the shirt up onto my arms but she tried to pull the sleeves back down. "Awe, come on! They can't be worth that much to you. Right?"_

_"It's my best friend. I can't leave her hanging." I stood up and immediately put my shirt on the rest of the way and started to button it together. I heard the girl scuff at me before I turned to look at her. I knew her as a friend of a friend within the record label, but I couldn't remember her name front the top of my head. All I could remember from hours before was being six drinks in after a performance a couple of states over and seeing her soon after. I also remember her being the person that has been trying to seduce me for quite a bit and I think the drinks helped her achieve that._

_"You mean that Nuñez girl, right? What does she got that I don't?" I felt a rage fill within me as I buttoned the third from the top button and decided to leave it at that. I gave her a glare before exiting the room._

_"Don't you dare speak of her like that again."_

All I remember from the rest of that conversation was the fact I told her to leave my house before I finished getting ready or we were going to have a problem. I knew she hated me due to that, but I didn't care for how she spoke about Claire. Once I arrived at the party, incredibly late, Claire gave me a smile that made the struggle against the unnamed woman worth it.

_"So, what really kept you, hotshot?" I rolled my eyes at Claire as I crossed my arms over my chest._

_"I already told you, _ _Nuñez. I overslept."_

_"And I know you don't really sleep so quick your lying, James." I saw a mischievous gleam sparkle in her eyes. She knew I hated my real name but she'd use it as her weapon of choice to get what she wanted from me._

_"I had a little help this time. Why do you think I won't touch the drinks here? I know my limit."_

_"Whatever you say, James."_

_"Stop calling me that, _ _Nuñez." I watched as she gave me a knowing smile as she placed her hands on her hips._

_"Make me, hotshot." I shook my head at her with a matching smile._

_"I'll leave you here alone."_

_"Oh god, I'm sorry alright just leave me alone with Jennifer every again."_

I laughed to myself as I rested the lyric book in my lap. For someone that has dreamed of being an actress for years, she was never one to enjoy the limelight of it. She'd rather disappear into the background than be on the cover of magazines. As someone that was forcibly on them every other week, I never understood what the big deal was until she sat down and explained it to me.

_"It's like, everyone knows me for how I look but never for my work. It just always reminds me that I'll be the subject of their eye for a couple of years and then I'll be replaced like any other actress. Women never last long in this industry, Jim, we have expiration dates. And if mine is going to be broadcasted to the world, I want it to be through my work and not through pictures."_

_I sat there, staring at the chocolate eyed Latina with a weight in my chest and words trying to force themselves out into the open, but I tried my damnest to keep them contained._

_I'll never judge you._

_You'll never expire to me._

_Is that why you try so hard to make our outings secret?_

_All of this was ringing through my head as I stared at her with a dull ache in my chest. After a little while, I felt my grasp on my control slip as one of my thoughts decided to let themselves known._

_"They're nothing compared to you." I watched as she lifted her head slowly and looked over to me as if I said something she had never heard before. I doubted that as I remembered how many guys wanted her attention when we were in school. Especially now._

_"Thanks, Jim, but you and I both know the industry doesn't think that-"_

_"But I do." I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding before I continued. "And who give a damn about that industry says? I know I sure as hell don't. You're Claire _ _Nuñez. You shouldn't let anyone else's thoughts about you change who you are or what you do." I just remember the small but loving smile she gave before she reached out and wrapped her arms around my neck in a hug._

_"And this is why you're my favorite person."_

I looked down at the page I was writing on, seeing the complete set of lyrics I had written about all that was now running through my mind once more. The memories of her and I run deep within my writings. It's gotten to the point that I know every line that I write is somehow about her. As if she's always dancing in my mind. Like a muse I'll never completely captivate. For God's sake, I even wrote about her singing even though everyone knows she's terrible at it.

_"I can feel you close to me~!" I chuckled at Claire swung her head back and forth as she sang well out of key. Dancing around her dressing room that she had snuck me into as she was getting ready for her final scene. She was now swinging her hips by herself as her eyes were closed and her voice still tried it's best to succeed against the raising melody line. "Even if you're nowhere to be seen!" _ _I felt my breath hitch a little as I sat there watching her._

_Even when she's terrible at something, she makes it captivating._

_I didn't realize until I felt her tugging on my hands to stand up with her that she had brought herself over to me. "Come on! You're gonna let me dance on my own?" I gave her a sly smile as I rose up to my feet._

_"I'm not supposed to be here, remember?"_

_"So what? I know you love this song so move your ass!" She spun herself as she stepped back to continue her swaying. "Come on! I know that choreography you've been going through has taught you a lot more than you used to know."_

_"Can we never speak about my 'bad dancer' stage? Because I rather forget about it."_

_"Then join me! Prove my memory wrong."_

_It didn't take much longer after that for her to get me to join her. Even if we did get caught like we would when we had late-night dance parties in her room when we were in high school. Her parents never really cared for me after that._

"We're here everybody!" The bus driver's voice rang out as it pulled me from my thoughts. I closed my lyric book and placed it into my bag as I stood up with ease while Toby's groggy complaints were to the left of me.

"We're already back in LA? I've most of been out for at least six hours then." I chuckled at Toby as I grabbed my guitar case off the top carrier space.

"Well, it was only the two of us today on the bus. If you remember, the rest of the crew stayed back in San Jose for a well-deserved break."

"Why did we take the bus back home anyway? We could have stayed with them and give poor Craig up there a break." I only shook my head with a smile as I made my way up to the man in question.

"Because Darci, you know, your wife, would lose her mind if we weren't home when you promised." I gave a smile to my long time tour driver as I handed him an envelope with his name on it. "Thank again, Craig. Here's something extra for all the help." The older man gave me a smile as he took it gently from me as if it would shatter like glass.

"And this is why you're my favorite musician to work for." I gave him a laugh as I fixed my bag straps on my arms.

"Tell the family my regards."

"Will do, kiddo." I got off the bus with a small stretch as I looked up to the still darkened sky. The rain had since ended, but the gloomy look was still evident within the scenery. I heard a small huff beside me as I looked over to see Toby with his phone out before him.

"Alrighty. We have a couple of days of easy living before we have anything major to attend. Take some much-needed rest, my friend." He nudged me in the shoulder even though I still loomed over my long term friend. "You've earned it."

"Thanks Tobes, but you've all people know that's difficult for me."

"Doesn't mean you shouldn't try, hotshot."

"Now you're sounding like Claire."

"Who sounds like me?" I whipped my head over to see the smiling girl in question.

"What are you doing here?" I gave her a large smile as I heard the bus behind us take it's leave.

"I heard from Toby you guys were heading back early. Figured I'll stop by to see how it went since my lasted filming shoot is down the road." I flashed Toby a knowing glare as he carried on about grabbing his things together like it was nothing. I looked back to Claire as she kept speaking, seeing how she was a lot closer than she was before. "How did it go? Gave them one hell of a show?"

"I hope so." She flashed me another smile as she reached up and wrapped her arms around my neck as she has so many times before. I instantly reached, reciprocating the action.

"I know you did. Welcome home, hotshot." As I held her there, the words I wrote before rang through my head once more, this time, there was a slight difference to them.

_I _ _know a girl, she's like a curse  
_ _We want each other, no one will break first  
_ _So many nights, trying to find someone new  
_ _They don't mean nothing compared to you._


	4. Love Someone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY SO WIZARDS WAS A FUCKING RIDE AND I LOVED IT! I will be blunt that I cried a little. Especially realizing why certain characters acted the way they did. Like Morgana? Girl's story pulled me apart. Like I hated her for what she did to people in Trollhunters but now I understand why and it breaks me.
> 
> Anyway, I couldn't sleep due to the extreme fucking high all of this gave me so enjoy my little word dumb. Much love y'all.

My mind was in a haze. Like I was in this fickle place between the conscious world and a dream-like state. It was like having a lucid dream. I open my eyes and I can see, heard, and feel all that is around me, but I had no control over my body. I would try my best to fight against it mentally, but my body would never respond.

Yet, my body moved and it caused _hell_.

Flashes of what I've done burn my memory as if it was yesterday. The feeling of punching tough stone that belonged to a dear friend still weighed on my shoulders as the sound of a body slamming the ground echoed in my mind. The look of Claire's eyes as I held her nearly by her neck before me. Knowing that my body was willing to end her as I was screaming for me to stop. I watched all of this as I was chained within my own mind and it killed me that it took the loss of Arthur to be free from my imprisonment.

Then instantly after I came back to control, I was ripped away from it once more.

The feeling of turning to stone felt as if I was on fire. That my already rock-like flesh was burning from the inside out as I turned solid. My mind was frantic as I wanted to at least say sorry for what I've done. For what I _could _have done to her. But none of these words slip from my lips as the transformations were fast and took over me within moments. The only word escaping me being her name. It took my back to when I first became a troll. To when I entered that bath with Merlin's concoction with how she was my last memory. How it was when we first really spoke. It was ironic to me that her tear-filled eyes were still as beautiful as they were from back then. The only regret filling my head that I never told her I loved her as much I wanted to.

Now, I understood why I refrained from it as much as I did. I had a feeling that the corruption was going to take over me and that Merlin wouldn't have a cure for me. He stated to me when I have presented the idea to go through with my transformation that there wasn't a way to go back, so how would he be able to save me from losing the last bit of humanity I had? I knew it was the end. So I decided I was going to try my best to make the last moments I would have with her as perfect as I could.

But I didn't want her to be stuck on me.

I didn't want her believing that she couldn't move on from me. I didn't want her to spend the rest of her life in pain from me or to think no one else could love her. So, I did my best to keep the words from coming out. It was difficult and I almost found myself muttering them to her more times than I had digits to could on, but I made it through. But my last thoughts as I felt my skin burn as if I was basking in the sunlight were the few words I didn't want to leave her with.

**I love you.**

When the rubble fell off my skin and I noticed my plain of vision was much shorter than I remembered, I was rather shocked. The feeling of cloth on my flesh was something that was foreign to me as I looked out towards Claire. Her face was still full of tears as her hands were over her mouth. Then she was in my arms. I held her tight against me due to the fact that I felt as if it was a dream. That this was some sick afterlife that was haunting me with what I could have had. But as her slightly damp cheek rubbed itself against my neck while her arms found their selves around my neck, I knew it was real. I found myself burying my head into her neck even though the cold feeling from her armor was a sharp contrast from the warmth of her skin.

_I would have stayed there forever if I was allowed, but the world was never one to give me a break._

We pulled apart against my wishes as our hands found each other like it has for what felt like years. Instead of me feeling as if mine could engulf hers like that of the ocean tide against the sand, they were like puzzle pieces. Matching and linking together like they were meant to.

**We are meant to be together.**

I felt myself smile as her words from the Shadow Realm rang within my head while the memory from when I submerged myself into Merlin's magic fluttered into my head. I started to quickly compare the Claire before me from the one I would day-dream of when we were just high schoolers. Noting the small changes that have happened in her features since then. The most obvious being the change of her hair while the smallest being the darker shade of skin that was under her eyes and the slightest of difference in her lips.

_I guess kissing what is basically stone can do that to a person._

I mentally chuckled to myself as I stared at her a while longer. I began to count the small splash of freckles that spread across the bridge of her nose and both her cheeks as if the number would change from the last time I tried.

_She still looked perfect. Even after all this time._

But as I stated, life never gave me a break. Destiny had always been my greatest foe and this one was the idea of who was to wield Excaliber.

When I asked Douxie how I could be the Trollhunter if I no longer had the amulet, I knew his answer already, but I was more afraid of the idea that it wouldn't choose me as the amulet had. Or if it did, that I would only put those I love in danger once more. So when I decided to actually try and pull Excaliber from it's confinements to only be shown that my destiny was now to wield Arthur's blade, I felt a small amount of panic set in. I was afraid to be worthy of the blade. Afraid of what it would bring.

Yet as I looked over to chocolate eyes that stood by my side as they have through everything else within my life, I understood why I was so frightened. A bittersweet feeling finding its way into my heart as I felt my grip tighten on the sword's handle.

_She gave me something much more than just a loved one to lose._

So as I lay here now, feeling Claire's even breaths tickle my neck as the moonlight danced across my old room as if time had never changed, I was laying awake within her arms thinking way too much for my own good. It was as if we were still the same two kids from when we first did something like this. I felt a small smile spread across my cheeks as I rubbed my thumb on her waist as I held her close, pulling a small murmur to come from the sorcerous that was laying her head across my chest. I chuckled to myself as memories of how we first started to just lay together after I came back from the Darklands danced within my mind. I found myself smiling contently as I buried the side of my face within her hair. One thought invading my mind as I drifted softly to sleep while my new destiny leaned up against my old school desk not too far away from me.

_If someone wasn't afraid to lose those that they loved, they must have never loved someone as I do now._

_And I wouldn't change a thing._


	5. Sword of Camelot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Here I am only about sixteen hours after Wizards broke me literally to the core and I have a LOT of ideas. I have so many in fact that one of them even is me pondering on the fact that I want to REDO my nearly 30,000 word story The Original Knight of Merlin because there is just so much I can do with that idea now. Another idea brewing within me had to due with Jim and Excaliber. I know he tried a little to pull it from it's resting place, but I have a feeling there is much more to him and that sword than we will know for a little while to come. I know a lot of people believe it didn't call upon him to be the next wielder but I personally don't even think Jim even try when he tugged on it. Like, when the sword of daylight got stuck in the rocks behind his house, it took a lot more than just a couple of tugs to get the thing out and he had the amulet the powered it. I was as if he was too tired to carry on another burden and that's why he stopped before he went too far. But our final glimpse of him is him and the sword as the main focus.
> 
> My poor boy. I swear to fuck he is my favorite character from a show in years and stuff like this is why.
> 
> But for right now, I wanna fill the void of a lack of fanfiction with my own due to how my heart is craving for it while my mind is fucking rampant right now. I have no clue what I'm going to name this or what I'm really doing with all these ideas in my head, but I hope you guys enjoy it.

I was only sixteen when destiny had called for me. I was brought into a war I had never knew brewed for over 900 years as humans lived their day to day lives. I went from having my biggest worry being a math exam and trying to talk to a long time crush to protecting those I loved from a terrible fate caused by said destiny. I had grown accustomed to it.

So the thought of it rejecting me was terrifying.

I have spent months, almost a year, fighting for a cause that I was called to protect. I have seen bloodshed and death in so many ways that loss was starting to become normal within that time. Hell, even my own body was given to the cause more than once. The first was due to a transformation I placed it through. I knew what it would do, but I knew that it needed to be done. Then the second was how I forced myself into a corrupted form to save those that I loved.

But now as I sit before Excaliber as it's wedged within its confinements, I'm frightened.

When I first tried to grab the sword, I didn't even feel it budge. The few tugs I placed upon it didn't even feel as if it caused an effect. With the amulet gone, there is no other way for me to continue the fight that I have led for so long. Douxie's words still rattle within my head about how he spoke of the idea that I didn't need the amulet to be the Trollhunter, but it was all I knew. All I have done for what felt like decades now. Everyone I knew had changed the course of their lives for this. Everything that I knew, I had abandoned for this.

But now I felt as if I was no longer needed. That I have played my part.

"Are you alright?" I looked up for my left to see a soft smile upon Claire's lips. I tried my best to muster a smile in return, but I knew she understood me better than anyone else at this point in my life. She sat down beside me without another word as her hand found it's way into mine. I smiled at the motion as I rubbed my thumb gently against the back of her still armored hand. Everyone had left after the sun had set upon the horizon. They all agreed that after everything we had gone through, that we should all take some time to rest yet I couldn't leave the spot I had taken in front of the gold and silver sword and I knew that Claire wouldn't have left without knowing I had. So, that placed the two of us alone within the small carnage that was around us.

"The best someone can be all things considered." I glanced over to Claire to see her smile deepened after I spoke while her grip tightened slightly on my hand. The moment was breathtaking, to say the least. Just a simple moment. We're not surrounded by trolls searching for a new home or 900 years into the past. It's just her and I.

_Everything I have ever wanted._

I felt myself smile at the thought that danced within my mind as her head found it's way to my shoulder. The silence between us was welcomed as we just allowed ourselves to be within the moment. With all things considered, I believed it would be best for both of us. I saw glimpses of what I have done to her. The pain I had caused. The fact that she still felt as if she could be close to me even though I held her by the neck not long ago amazed me.

_How could she be so forgiving? I haven't even realized a lot of the damage I had caused._

But here she is, nevertheless. By my side like she always has. Before yet another magical relic that could be mine to claim while surrounded by the rubble of another war we have been soldiers in.

"I don't deserve you." My words were met with the softest of laughter I had heard come out of the sorcerous. As if we were high schoolers once more and I tried another lame way to try to speak to her.

_Why did I think sloppy Spanish would captivate her? I blame the hormones._

"I should be stating that to you." Her words were soft as her free hand placed itself on my cheek. Her thumb danced on what I knew was now a scar on my right cheek.

_When did I get it? I don't have the slightest of a clue. It was rather difficult to understand what would be permanent on my troll form in comparison to my human one. I could have gotten it at any point in the six or so months I have led as a halfling and I wouldn't have known the difference._

"Are you going to try again?" I noticed now that Claire had started to gaze at the rather large sword of Arthur that kept half of itself shielded underground. I smiled a little at the sight.

_She knows me all too well._

Before I could speak, my smile faded as I tighten my grip on her hand like she had done to me not long ago.

"I have no clue yet."

I toyed with Claire's hand as silence found itself around us once more. I could feel Claire's eyes upon me as she waited patiently for me to continue. She knew all too well that I wouldn't speak of the demons that I had buried within me unless I felt as if it wouldn't burden her. She knew that I acted a lot stronger than I actually was. That under the armor and what used to be harden skin was that of a lost teenager trying his best to not tear at the seams.

"It's okay to be frightened, Jim." I looked up to Claire to see a soft smile dancing on her lips once more. Her body turned towards me so she can speak to me with her full attention. She pulled her hand out of mine and placed both of them on my cheeks as her thumbs grazed across my cheekbones as if I was glass. As if within a moment's notice I was going to fade from her view. I placed a hand on hers as I gently formed circles on the back of her armored hand as if to say I wasn't going anywhere.

"I know you." Her voice was soft as she continued. "You're afraid of what is to come. Ashamed of what you have done. But that doesn't change the good that you have given or the lives you have saved." Her eyes shined like a small bit of laughter escaped her. "Only whatever being that has been toying with us would know the world we would be living in if it wasn't for you. We wouldn't even be living at all a matter of fact." I found myself chuckling a little at her attempt at lightening the mood. "But I can tell that you're tired. I could see that you didn't really try when it came to the sword."

"What do you-" She pointed a finger towards me with her smile deepening a little.

"Don't try to hide it from me. You don't have to continue to act after what we have lived through." I smiled gently towards her as her hand found it's way back to my cheek. "If you want to lead a normal life, I wouldn't blame you. If you want to run away from the sword as far as you can, I wouldn't blame that either. You could probably get away with that much more than you could with the amulet." I found myself laughing lightly at the idea as a grin spread across Claire's face. "I'll follow you either way. But I also know you would answer the world's call, magical sword or not." The laughter I had faded slowly as I felt a saddened smile place itself on my lips. I found myself looking down at where our knees were touching as we sat there. My hands now finding their way to the top of my thighs.

_She truly knows me all too well._

"But I'll be right there beside you." I looked up once more as I realized she dropped her left hand from my face to find itself intertwining with mine like it had many times before. "I swear though if you do and you pull the same self-sacrifices you always have, I will haunt you in the afterlife."

"I wouldn't have it either way."

"Then why not try again?"

"It didn't even budge, Claire."

"You didn't even really try, Jim."

"I'm not worthy."

"Then who would be?"

We sat there for a moment as a deafening silence sat between us. I found myself looking over to the sword once more.

"If it doesn't claim me, you wouldn't see me any different, right?"

"I've been with you through worse." I smiled at her reply, finding a new surge of confidence as I stood with Claire following suit. I walked slowly up to the golden and silver relic as I kept her hand tight within my grasp. She only tightened her own grip as I glanced back over to her. With a deep breath, I turned back to the sword and reached out my hand to grab the handle once more. I tugged on it with as much effort as my one hand could muster.

_This time, it budged._

I looked back towards Claire once more with wide eyes as I retracted my hand from hers to pull at the sword once more. With both hands on the blade's handle, I pulled once more, this time it came clean from its Earthly confinements. I turned completely towards Claire with the sword weighing heavy in my right hand.

"I think this is going to be much more difficult to hide than an amulet." Claire graced me with a wide grin as she walked up to me to place her arms around my neck.

"What's the point in hiding?" I smiled at Claire as I placed an arm instinctively around her waist. Slowly, we found our lips upon each other as my mind closed in on the feeling of her soft lips on mine. Nearly forgetting the weight of the sword of Camelot placed within my hand as I gave away to her touch.


	6. The Prince and the Witch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SUP EVERYONE! So I decided to go through some AU ideas I never finished and decided to get off my lazy ass and finish them while I have too much downtime on my hands.
> 
> The idea I had for this one: Character A is the ex-heir of a fallen kingdom and they're one of the last magic users around. They've been trying to keep their magic a secret, but Character B catches Character A using their magic to make small, metal toys sing and dance for fun.

_Ever since I was a child, I knew that my family was feared._

I grew up in high castle walls and loving arms as I was the first child of the king and queen of Astherin. Within our land, even though I was a woman, this meant that I was the heir to the throne. Even after my little brother's birth, I was still told that I had a crown and country to carry with pride and grace.

I loved the land that I was given the opportunity to live within. We made it able for each of our subjects to live the way they chose. One was not forced into the lives they were born into. They had the right to choose their futures.

_As long as they didn't betray the throne, that is._

_But it all came to a blazing end._

The memories haunt me every moment I close my eyes. Their screams follow me in my sleep and echo after every thought. I didn't understand at the time why the siege on Astherin took place, but I followed orders by my father to take shelter in a kingdom called Arcadia that was ruled by a friend of my mother's. Queen Barbara took me in with welcoming arms and over time taught me more about what happened to my people.

_"Magic is a thing that people fear. Humanity never understood the concept of magic, and due to this, it's the unknown nature that causes them to fear it. Once word spread of Astherin being where witches and warlocks were welcomed to make their homes, other kingdoms grew fearful of what might have come from them." I looked at the queen with a questionable look as the words settled within my head._

_"You are stating that my land was captured and my family slaughtered due to how people feared what would happen from people having a place to welcome them?"_

_"I never said it was right, darling. Just that the world is fearful of what they don't understand. Yet here in Arcadia, you and all those that lived to survive the struggles of the fall of Astherin, are welcomed. I would never let my dear friend have her people wonder lost within this world. Especially not her daughter." The queen gave me a sweet smile as she placed a hand on my shoulder. "You have a lot to learn if what your mother has told me in our letters is true. You must hone your abilities here. Learn from those around you and make a solid foundation for your future."_

_"But I'm from a kingdom that practiced and welcomed magic. I myself am from a long lineage of witches."_

_"Then show the world that there is nothing to fear from your presence."_

I was grateful for all that the queen was risking to give me shelter. She made it well known within the castle walls of my presence but made sure that those that were not meant to know of my survival were kept out of the secret the castle was keeping. She taught me much more about the cultures outside of the land I knew and even introduced me to the heir to her throne that she stated would be glad to show me much more than she can teach.

I heard of the lone prince of Arcadia when I was younger. My mother would joke constantly that due to her closeness to Queen Barbra that they would end up arranging for Acadia's prince and I to be wed if both kingdoms did not despise the concept. Both rulers were not given a choice in who they would spend the rest of their days with but ended up in the luckiest of situations where they ended up falling in love with those that they were promised to and due to the possibilities of how horrid it could have gone, both agreed to not condemn their children to those possible fates.

But when I met him, I knew I wouldn't have minded at all if they decided to follow tradition.

Prince James was a kind young man who wore his heart on his sleeve and was not afraid to admit to his shortcomings, yet was not going to let his downfalls be that way forever. He was determined to be the best he could be and it was obvious from the moment I laid my eyes on him. He was on the training grounds with his swordsmanship teacher who was named Blinky.

** _Still to this day, I don't understand if it's a cruel joke of why the one-eyed man was deemed that but I never decided to bring the question before him._ **

James had fallen multiple times from what I could hypothesize due to the layers of mud that caked over his clothing and face. The exhaustion was obvious due to the number of heavy breaths that seemed to not want to stay within his chest.

_"Are you sure you want to continue, my prince?" All I could see was how the dark-haired and blue armor covered prince brought up his sword with a wide smile._

_"I can handle it. If I give up now, I'll never succeed."_

The memory makes me smile as, over the small amount of time I had within these castle walls, I had grown to know the fellow royal well. He knew of my kingdom, not much to my amusement, but enough to understand where I was from as well as some of the culture. I can still remember with amusement how he stumbled over our native tongue as he tried to make me feel at home with his first greeting towards me.

_"You don't have to speak Spanish towards me, Prince James." The fellow teenager only scratched the back of his neck lightly as he proudly wore a smile through his obvious embarrassment._

_"I wanted you to feel as if you can be yourself around me so I decided that if I could showcase I understood where you're from, that you would feel comfortable." He let out a small laugh before continuing to speak. "And please, call me James."_

_"You don't have to worry so much about me. I already feel at home within these walls. If we're going to be on such informal terms though, you can call me Claire."_

_"Wonderful to hear then, Claire." I could help but mimic his smile that he gave me as he gave me a small bow._

_"I thought we just agreed to not be as formal with one another?" I laughed lightly as I joked towards the taller teenager._

_"Does not mean I should not show you respect." He gave me a wide grin that I could not help but be joyous towards._

_"If you're so determined to know more about my land, I can always teach you." The look that James gave me was like that of a young child being told that he could have dessert before dinner as he nodded with enthusiasm._

_"I would enjoy that very much! In return, I can show you more of our culture. I know you're being taught personally by my mother, but I can always lend you a helping hand."_

Ever since then, I taught James about the ways of my people as he taught me more about the kingdom from a much more relaxed position in comparison to his mother's teachings. We spoke about our different dialects and ideals, working systems and land developments, and even to what our people believe in as well as ourselves.

But through all of this, I remembered what Queen Barbara imprinted in my mind.

_Never show your magic to anyone until I can control it with ease. Arcadia is only just getting comfortable with the customs that came from the ways of magic. Rather not get them witnessing the power behind it before it's obvious they understand it enough to no longer fear the effects._

So, I never showcased the magical side of myself to the prince. I saw sure of when I practiced my spells, I was either alone or with the young man the queen introduced me to.

_"Magic is about your emotions. Keep your arms up and your mind in focus. If you dive too deep into the darker side of your emotions, you'll never return to the light." Hisirdoux, the young wizard that the queen had introduced me to that was willing to teach me to control my powers, lifted my left arm slightly as he was instructing me to create a small portal. "But, it is that darkness that fuels your abilities."_

_"Are you sure I should be able to possess this?" I glanced over to the taller being as he gave me a wide smile._

_"You were born without magic, correct? Even though your family is a long line of witches and wizards?" I nodded my head slightly at his question. "That just makes you more powerful. You were able to find the magic within yourself through your emotions. It makes you mortal, yes, but it means you are so much stronger than any spell caster to cross your path." He put his hand on my chin, forcing me to look before me once more. "Now, focus. Do not doubt yourself, Claire." I felt a swell of determination fill my being as I projected my emotions out into the small portal I was creating._

I smiled at the memory as I sat against the stone wall next to my resting chambers door. I glanced around the room while my legs stretched out before me as my left ankle placed itself over my right. It wasn't much like what I had in Astherin, but it was home all the same. It was obvious as one would walk in that there were touches to the designs and colors that were not within the customs for Arcadia. The purple and gold fixtures were the major showcase to this since Arcadia's royal colors were blue and silver. In my hands, I had my little brother's blanket that he had given me as father informed all of us of his plan.

_"Take." I looked down to Enrique, the small four-year-old boy was holding out a purple blanket with our family's insignia upon it in gold. I knelt down to Enrique, knowing that my words to him would be the last I could speak with him._

_"I don't want to take your blanket from you, mi hermanito." The boy had a serious look placed on his face as he stuck the fabric out further towards me._

_"I want you to."_

_"You don't have much time to argue with him, mi hija." I looked over to my father who had my mother by his side. I was thankful that the last time I would see their faces were of those of content smiles as I took my brother's favorite blanket from him._

_"Thank you, Enrique." He gave me a wide smile as I stood up once more. Before I could start my way towards the tunnel I was supposed to exit through, he wrapped his arms around my legs._

_"I love you, hermana." I smiled at the feeling as I toyed with his hair._

_"I love you too, hermanito."_

What brought me back to reality was the sudden darkness that appeared in splotches on the small purple cloth. I reached up and touched my cheeks, realizing that I had started crying from the memory. With a soft smile, I placed my hand back on the soft cloth before placing it against my chest.

_I understand why my father was insistent of me being the one to escape, but I could never understand why I couldn't bring my brother with me. I was the last known magic wielder in the family line. Enrique was too young to see if he had inherited the family trait. Normal fleshlings were insistent on the idea that witches and warlocks turned to dust when killed. So it would make sense to those that besieged the castle to find three bodies in the royal room. They would search high and low if there were any less. Even with this being knowledge I understood, the overprotective sister within my fights against the idea. That there must have been another way out for the little one._

_But what's done has been done and all I can do is live on for them._

I laid the blanket into my lap as I looked around the room once more. My eyes landed on little metal toys like that Enrique was given from our father. There were three of them all of which were different. They were all little soldier men, but one had a sword, another had a war horn, as the last had a shield.

_"Do it again! Again!" I smiled at my brother as I spun a finger once more, a purple aura coming from my extended index finger as his little soldier toys seemingly come to life. They marched around in a circle as Enrique's excited giggle filled the air. They then marched in a line as they headed back to the shelf they were once sitting on, hopping onto in order as I pulled my control over the small toys to cause their movements to halt. I toyed with my brother's hair as his head leaned into my stomach. The actions pulled a yawn out of the toddler as he mumbled to me._

_"Thank you, Claire."_

Without a single thought, I felt myself swing my index around in a circle as I had in those moments. My magic caused all three of the small toys to stand straight up. I smiled to myself as the toyed marched from where they were sitting under a window in a straight line across from me. As I watched them march together, the slightest memory of Enrique's laugh echoed in my mind as the toys reached where my feet were. I was so entranced that I had not heard the two sets of worried knocks upon my door or the creaking of the wood as it opened.

"Claire?" The sudden sound caused me to yelp and lose my control over the few toys, causing them to fall instantly from their positions. I looked over to the door to see a wide-eyed James standing in the doorway. I brought myself to my feet as I tried my best to explain the toys' movements.

"This is not how it seems."

"Claire-"

"I have no clue how they-"

"Claire."

"You have to believe-" I stopped in the middle of my frantic explanations as two hands found their way to my shoulders. I was so worried about how the prince would react to my magic that I didn't realize the broad smile he had upon his lips and the kindness that danced in his ocean eyes.

"Calm yourself." He gave me a chuckle before speaking once more. "I won't harm you." He had a soft look on his face as he brought his hands down from my shoulders. I had not noticed until now that he was not decorated in his normal silver-plated armor, but in that of a simple white tunic and black breeches. He still had a sword in its leather scaffold tied to his waist, but he was much smaller outside of the wide armor. It made me realize how soft the war trained price truly was.

"Yet I am a witch."

"You're a witch." He chuckled once more as he gave me another smile. "Is that what caused you to panic? Were you afraid of how I would react?" I took a deep breath as I gave him a single nod. This only caused him to place his hands on my biceps. "You being a witch has nothing to do with my opinion of you."

"It does with others."

"I'm not others." I felt myself smile slightly at him as he pulled his touch away from me once more. "And if these others give you problems, I will be glad to finish them for you." He crossed his arms over his chest which caused me to laugh lightly at his actions.

"I don't need you to solve my problems."

"I never said you did." His smile deepened as he kept his arms loosely over his chest. "Just that I would lend a hand if need be. What you are is what is meant to be. If it wasn't, then you wouldn't have been gifted. All because you were born differently than others does not mean you deserve hatred." I found myself smiling towards the prince as I fiddled with my hands before me.

"Thank you, James."

"Any time, Claire." He dropped his arms as he knelt down for a second before rising back to his feet. "You seemed to have dropped this in your panic." He handed me the blanket I kept in my lap before I had toyed with my magic.

"Thank you." I folded the small blanket and watched it as I weighed the purple fabric in my hands for a moment. When I looked up to see James was giving me a soft look as there seemed to be a supporting aura swirling in his eyes.

"I won't ask of you about why you keep your magic hidden, but I can tell you do so for a reason." His voice was a lot more delicate as he spoke this time. "But know that if you ever need to speak to someone of the weight you carry on your shoulders, I will be here for you. May you enjoy it or not." He had a lot more of a joyful tone in his voice as he finished speaking. "But since it seems you're not able to sleep at this time either, would you mind joining me on a walk? It helps me calm my nerves after long days like this one."

"I would love you." I smiled towards him as he showcased a large toothy one of his own.

"Wonderful." He placed his arms behind his back as he let out a little bit of the excitement I could tell he felt within his facial features. Even though it was obvious the young heir was used to war and battles due to the faded scars that danced across his face, he seemed like that of a light-hearted child within that moment and it caused my heavy one to lighten at the sight of it. "I'll meet you outside your door. Take your time if you need to gather anything." I placed my brother's blanket on my bed as I shook my head at the prince's idea.

"There's no need to do such a thing. We can leave now if you wish."

"Are you sure? You don't want a shawl or anything of the likes?"

"To be honest, James, I think the chill of the night wind will be a welcoming friend." He smiled lightly at me as he dropped his hands to his side.

"Shall we go then?" He gestured towards the door, allowing me the right to exit before him.

"We shall."

I don't remember much more from the walk we had shared, but all I could was how the moon seemed to grace the young man beside me. It was as if the world understood the scars they must have placed on him as to how it softened when he presented himself within its gaze. The light acted as if he would shatter if it wasn't gentle towards his fair skin as he smiled towards the small gust of the midnight breeze. I knew since I had met the fellow royal that he was someone I would never forget even if I desired so.

But as our skin brushed lightly against one another as we walked silently in the moon's graceful light, I understood now why it felt as if I was bound toward him.

It was as if we were missing pieces to one another. That we were meant to find each other in some way and it made me feel as if the turmoils I had struggled with had led to me finding someone that would understand me more than anyone else within these castle walls and I would be the same for him.

We are two victims of the world and its tedious game that somehow found solace in one another, and as brown orbs had met blue ones under the full moon's gentle gaze, I knew I wouldn't have it any other way.


	7. The Huntress and the Wizard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO! Random one-shot update. Wizard Jim and Trollhunter Claire with two different teams Trollhunter/Magic Boys. I love the dynamics between all these characters and I swear to GOD I don't think another show could top this for me atm.
> 
> This has been an idea I wanted to flood out of my head for a while now but I never knew how to start it story-wise. Hopefully, this eases the rapid amount of ideas I have with it until I figure it the fuck out lol. Hope y'all enjoy it!

"Who are you?" I raised my hands up above me as the silver and blue sword was pointed in my direction. I chuckled nervously as I found my back against the canal wall.

"Um, you're not going to take a friend as an answer, are you?" I yelped a little as the sword was brought closer to where I was standing.

"Answer the question." I swallowed hard. I knew the owner of the voice even though a black mask covered her features. I had watched the fellow teen as I grew infatuated with her character. She was kind and graceful, always declaring that there was always another way to answer problems than with violence.

_Kind of ironic that said girl was pointing a sword near my throat._

I tried my best to keep calm as I knew if my face was visible to the hostile Trollhunter that she would lower her sword instantly. I knew that I had ways out of this situation. My mother made sure of that as I told her I wanted to carry on with where she had left off when I was born.

_"I want to help the magical creatures of Acadia." I watched my mother who nearly dropped her plate I asked her to grab as I was finishing the last touches on our dinner. It has been something I have been wanting to bring up to her attention for years, but I believe the fact that I was now sixteen made me feel it was about time to make sure my mother knew of my intentions in life._

_"Are you sure of this? I raised you without honing your magic at first so you had a choice in the endeavor. Once you choose this life, it is quite difficult to leave it."_

_"I know." There was a heartbeat of silence before a smile spread across my mother's face._

_"If this is what you desire, then I will train you myself. As a half breed, you have to understand that you are a lot more vulnerable than others with magical gifts."_

_"I know, mom. I'm willing to take the risk."_

But as I felt the cold concrete against my neck as my mask raised lightly on my neck, I felt as if I never truly knew what I was signing up for.

_Well, I wasn't expecting the cute human girl that caught my eye to be the next Trollhunter either. It seems life likes to throw me curveballs and I'll admit that it's been a little while since I held a bat._

"I'm a wizard." I held my voice firm as I kept my hands up by my head. "Well, half of one."

"What does that mean to us?" A female voice from the Trollhunter's right appeared. She was wearing all black, having a mask just like the Trollhunter herself as she had her hands on her waist.

"The fact that I'm not against you would be one valid reasoning." Another figure appeared on the sword wielder's left as she spoke as well.

"How are we supposed to believe you? You freed the changeling lady that has been trying to kill us."

"Well, I'm sorry that I cast the wrong spell! I'm new to this whole wizard thing just as you are to the whole Trollhunter idea."

"And why do you keep meddling with our plans against the Janus Order? Would you care to explain that?"

"Do you think running into that museum and stealing a piece of Killahead Bridge will keep them from going after you? Were you not told how powerful the order truly is? They have moles everywhere. I wouldn't even doubt they would be in every government across the world." I narrowed my eyes towards the girl, even though I knew that she couldn't see it. "They would search your house, find the piece, then slaughter you before you could toy with them once more. No one will be able to find out how it happened. To be honest, you might want to be thankful for my meddling. If it wasn't for me, they would have known you three are by now." I took a deep breath as I looked directly towards the Trollhunter. "I know you don't trust me and honestly, I wouldn't either if I was in your shoes, but you should know that I would never mean to cause harm to you or those around you."

"I want to believe you, but you can understand why I'm hesitant."

"I don't blame you, but you have to believe me." I watched the sword being pointed at me twitch lightly.

_I'm breaking through to her._

I smiled slightly under the mask as I pointed to the face-covering with my left hand. "How about I take off my mask?"

"How would that help us?"

"You'll know the identity of one of the last wizards in Arcadia. There are only three of us calling this town our home, you know. Also," I looked towards Claire once more as I had a feeling her hardened expression that would have been on her face was starting to falter. "Then you'll know that I mean no harm. You'll know who I am as a normal person and then you can judge my merits accordingly." I sat there counting the seconds until the wide sword was dropped from before me.

"You're not serious, right?" Claire looked over to the over masked girl who questioned her as she placed her sword on her back.

"He's willing to showcase himself to three humans. With the history our kinds have with one another, he must desperately want our trust." She looked back to me, turning her body towards me. "I won't force you to go through with it. Especially with the past magic wielders have with humanity."

"I want to." I brought my hands behind my head, untying the mask before I even finished my full thought out loud.

_I know who you are. It's only fair._

I pulled the black mask off my head, shaking my head back and forth slightly to get my dark brown hair out of my eyes. I looked towards the Trollhunter with a large smile. It was obvious by her stance that she wasn't expecting what she was witnessing.

"Jim?"

"Hi, how are ya?" She pulled off her own mask, her dark hair barely moving as she did so due to the multiple hair clips I knew she used to keep it in place. Her hazel eyes had a soft look to them as she took a step closer to me.

"I knew something was different about you." I shrugged lightly with a smile still dancing on my lips.

"Guilty as charged." As I was so caught up in the Trollhunter's movements, I didn't realize that her friends joined along in the reveal of one another. The one on Claire's right being Darci and the one on her left was Mary. "Also, a note from an experienced magic concealer, don't be frantic when you need to deal with something. It was the one key that leads me to understand I wasn't the only one in high school with a secret." I gave the three of them a smirk as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Didn't you just say you're new to the whole wizard thing?" I shrugged at Mary's question before answering her.

"I've had a few months. Give or take a week or so. I haven't had much time to hone my spells. Living my life in a magic-less world though has taught me how to conceal small slip-ups."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Let's just say puberty as a wizard is a lot more exciting than it is for a mortal. Especially when they're a halfling." I shuttered lightly at the memory of having random spell outbursts when heading into high school. One moment I would be just your normal fourteen year old and then the next thing you knew I was floating with no way to stop it. It was through one of these instances that my childhood best friend was introduced to the magical side of me. I was just lucky my time within that 'growing period', as my mother called it, was short. Only a year of close calls to notch my belt before I was in the clear.

_Thank Merlin I'm only a halfling. I was told by Douxie that if I was in his shoes, it would have lasted a mortal's lifetime._

"So, do you three trust me now?" I unfolded my arms and placed my hands into my black jean pockets. "I never meant any of you any harm. I was just trying to steer you away from plans that were doomed to fail."

"Still doesn't explain the slip up with Nomura." Mary crossed her arms over her chest before Claire turned her head towards her.

"Give him a break, Mary. He's only been in this mess for as long as we have." She looked back towards me with a gentle look resting on her features. "If I had so little time with spells, I know I would have a mistake here and there as well." I found myself chuckling at her statement.

"Oh, you have no clue. Unlike a friend of mine, I don't have anything to help me cast spells. I have books that I read to understand certain ones and kinds, but he has a gauntlet that helps him on the fly. I just have to hope I'm thinking of the right one." I looked over to Mary as I spoke once more. "Trust me. I was trying to create an energy box for Nomura to be caged in. Instead, I ended up giving her an energy field. One small miss calculation and the result ended up completely different than what I was expecting."

"Well, hopefully, we won't have that problem again any time soon." I whipped my head back towards Claire at such a high speed, I think I would have cracked it if I went any faster.

"Any time soon?"

"You are going to help us out in the future, right?" Claire gave me a wide smile as she spoke. "As you said, there is a lot we don't understand just yet and I'll speak on behalf of all three of us when I say that we would love to have you join us." I found myself giving a soft grin to the Trollhunter as Darci spoke.

"Claire's right." She took a step closer to Claire and me as she continued. "Even if you have given us a tough time in some cases, we have almost gotten ourselves killed more than we can count at this point. Someone else willing to lend a hand would help keep the number where it's at." I laughed wholeheartedly at Darci's statement.

_"The more the merrier on the death train!" I laughed into the wind as Douxie held up his glowing gauntlet._

_"What if I want off the next station?!" I turned to Toby who was holding onto the side of the floating ship._

_"There are no stations!" I smiled towards the mortal as he looked at Douxie and me as if we were insane. He then frantically looked over to Douxie's familiar who was sitting calmly by the human._

_"You're not going to stop them?!" The cat adjusted his glasses with his paw before speaking calmly toward Toby._

_"For what reason? I am quite content with their actions at the moment."_

"You know, there are three others that I know will gladfully lend a hand as well. One of them has been teaching me the ropes of my powers. He could help you all as well."

"Then it's settled. We're all in this together." I smiled at Claire's words as Mary and Darci hovered over each of her sides.

"Yes. Together."


	8. Eres Tú

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I saw someone on Tumblr go something along the lines of "Think. Jim and Claire dancing on the cliffside. Jim singing to her lightly. Best romance scene." and my instant reaction was to write it lol.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy it! If I can find that person's Tumblr I'll put it here so I can give them credit for the idea. If not, then at least I tried lol.

We swayed slowly, her hand in mine as her face had hidden from the world by finding itself in the crook of my neck. I smiled slightly at the soft breaths that warmed the small amount of exposed skin at my collar while her hair tickled against my chin. The small number of lights by the cliffside had always graced her when we found ourselves here, and this moment was no different as the large white section of her looked like silk with the mixture of the street lights as well as the moon's loving light pouring down on her. Even though I knew that the woman I had an arm around could take down an army if she wished to, she looked as if she was as fragile as glass within this moment. I hummed along to the familiar soft guitar that played from my phone I kept within my back pocket.

_If we could stay like this forever, I would gladfully spin into oblivion._

I smiled to myself as a content sigh came from the woman as she slipped her hand out of mine so she could hook it around my neck along with the one that was once placed on my shoulder. She brought her head up so she could look at me as she spoke softly. It was like she was afraid she would ruin the moment if she spoke any louder than a whisper.

"Remember the last time we danced here?" A soft laugh found itself out of me as I moved my hand that was on her back to her waist while the one that was once occupied with her own had fallen to the other side of her waist.

"I remember feeling as if I was going to faint due to how hard my heart was pounding in my chest."

"Was it because of Angor Rot or was it because of me?" I gave her a lopsided grin in reply to the small smirk that appeared on her face.

"I would say both. I think worrying over the fact that I thought I was going to embarrass myself with my two left feet was a little more nerve-racking, ironically." This caused a small giggle to come from the slightly shorter teenager as one of her hands found its way into the back of my hair. I couldn't help but smile widely as a happy sparkle seemed to appear in her deep brown eyes. We stayed silent for a moment, just enjoying the moment as the song continued to play. The words speaking volumes while we swayed lightly together.

"You know. When you went into the Darklands, I would listen to this." I watched as she glanced away from me. Her eyebrows were knitted together as I could tell the memory of me being lost within the Darklands weighed heavy within her mind. When she looked back to me, I saw the beginning of a single tear welling up in the corner of her right eye. "When everyone was starting to lose hope and I started to lose myself with it all, it brought me back to that moment when we danced under the stars. It kept me sane while you were gone." I instinctively reached up between us and wiped away the single tear that released itself onto her cheek before placing it back down to her waist. I rubbed small circles with my thumbs on her sides as I kept my eyes on hers before speaking myself.

"I should have never broken my promise to you that day." I took a deep breath as I felt her hands now place themselves on both sides of my face. "But I was so afraid that something would have happened to you, Toby, or Blinky. After what we went through with AAARRRGGHH, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if someone else would have-" I couldn't get myself to finish that statement as the memory played within my mind. I looked away from her to look out over the city lights of Arcadia before putting my attention back towards the sorcerous before me. "Yet, it was probably one of the most horrific experiences I had. I'm rather glad no one else had to witness what I have there. But you want to know what kept me sane through all of it?" She gave me a soft hum in reply as she rubbed her thumbs back and forth on my cheeks. "I would daydream. I would place myself in my favorite moments and memories as I trudged through. The one I would always rely on when others would fail was when we were here that night." I chuckled lightly as I continued. "I even found myself singing the song even when I more than likely shouldn't have."

"James Lake Junior sings?" This caused a playful look to appear in her chocolate eyes as she tapped once on my left cheek with her thumb. "How could you keep that from me?"

"Do you want to hear me horribly try to sing in a language I only understand the bare minimum in?"

"Did it stop you from introducing yourself with said language when you first spoke to me?" I groaned slightly as I leaned my head back.

"Don't remind me. That was probably one of the most embarrassing things I have ever done." This pulled a wholehearted laugh from her as she pulled lightly to force my head back into place before she placed her forehead on mine.

"I thought it was adorable." She looked off above us for a second before putting her attention back to me. "Even though it was obvious you were trying too hard with your pronunciation."

"Hey, it wasn't bad for a kid that at the beginning of his second year of Spanish."

"I never said it was bad. You were just trying too hard. You never had to try to impress me, Jim." She ran a hand through my hair at that moment as her eyes softened almost instantly. "Even then." We stayed there for a moment as the music carried on the conversation for us. I knew the words by heart as I sang the words in my head as it continued.

_Eres tú, hu hau hu_

_Eres tú, hau nou_

_Eres tú, hu hau ou ouu_

As it started into the second verse, I decided to actually join along with the singer as she went on. "Me encanta verte, tenerte, abrazarte. Cuando estoy a un lado de ti. Todo lo bueno de mí, florece, eres tú. Ese imán de una preciosa energía. Es tu alma que envía, señales a mi cuerpo." I felt Claire bring me in closer to her so that our noses were touching lightly as she took on the last little part before chorus began again.

"Porque este sigue pidiendo ese aroma de ti. Que me invita al acecho." I smiled like a fool as I reached up to place my finger tips under her chin.

"Even when you're out of tune, you make it sound better than I ever could." This pulled an airy giggle out of her as she lifted her head up slightly. I felt myself close my eyes as I felt her lips place themselves against mine. I had grown accustomed to the feel of her lips, but I would always feel as if I would melt away each time they would meet mine. May it have been when we were first dating or even when I was a troll, I would always find myself feeling as if the world faded away and the only thing that mattered was the soft touch of her lips against mine. What was originally a single kiss turned into a few as we stood together, engulfed in each other as the soft guitar continued once again from my phone as the song repeated itself. But it was obvious by how she pulled me closer to her, that the sorcerous didn't mind as I held her against me. Fleeting kisses taking over where words once were all while a single thought danced in my mind as a smile danced on my lips as I captured her's once more.

_I was never good with my words when it came to you anyway._


	9. death bed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was listening to the song Death Bed (Coffee for your head) by Powfu and I got this idea to do some kind of not really angsty shit so I hope you guys enjoy it!

I knew that the crystal was going to bring me to my end.

When we were to go back to our time, I would die. I knew that, but I tried my best to do what I knew needed to be done. Yet every time Claire was near me, I felt as if I was making a mistake. With every loving word she spoke and every action she presented towards me, I knew that I was going to hurt her. I never wanted to cause her harm, but what kind of Trollhunter would I be if I had risked the rest of the time continuum to spend time with her? What kind of person would I be if I have done that? So when I told her what would happen, even though we were seconds away from returning to our own time, I felt my heart shatter at the sight of her in tears. I wanted my last moments to be with her. I wanted to sweep her off her feet and hide her away from the world.

_But the world had never been kind to us. It has never been our friend._

I felt myself smile as she put her forehead against mine even though tears flowed down her cheeks.

"I would date you for a hundred lifetimes, Jim Lake."

_A hundred lifetimes? I've been just hoping I get to see you again._

I chuckled at myself as I pulled her close to my chest, placing my head on top of hers.

_There is so much I wanted for the two of us. So many things I dreamed of even before we started dating. Back when we were two normal kids in a sleepy town. Even after becoming the Trollhunter and we had started dating after I came back from the Darklands._

I toyed with her hair as I rubbed her back, feeling the little hiccups coming from her as she sobbed lightly. As Douxie was trying his best to get us back to the present as soon as possible, she was clutching at me as if I was going to disappear.

_I can't blame her. She has been trying her best to find a way out of this situation for the two of us. I've been just hoping that whatever being that has been in control of everything will let me see her in whatever afterlife I'm taken to._

"Hey, remember when we used to walk around the park in Arcadia?" I pulled back from her so I could see into her eyes. Even though she had sadness swirling in her eyes, she had a soft smile forming on her lips. "Even though I would get scared of the slightest sounds after I got back from the Darklands, you were always there to cheer me up." I smiled at the memory as I tucked away her bangs that loosened out from the tight bun she put behind her head so it was out of her face. This pulled a small giggle from the sorceress as her hands found their way to my chest.

"Remember those goofy videos we made?" I chuckled as I placed my forehead on hers again.

"Especially the goofy ones." I smiled weakly to her as I placed my thumbs on her cheeks due to how placing my full hands would be a little too much for her small frame. "I'm sorry." I felt us jostle as Douxie got the portal to start.

"What for?"

"There's so much we never did." My hands dropped from her face down to her waist. "I was never the perfect guy. I know that. But there was so much I wanted to give you." I watched her eyes as I knew these could possibly be my last words to her. "I wish I could be there for the future you deserve. To be honest, I'm just happy you were mine in this short time I've had with you. It sucks that it's ending." She shook her head, knowing that I was trying to lighten the mood with my weak description. "But I've lived a blessed life. I had those that loved me. I had you." I felt myself smile widely at the thought. "It's all a guy could ask for." I blinked a couple of times, seeing that my vision was blurring a little. "Sorry." She reached up to my cheeks, wiping the tear that fell from my right eye with her thumb with a soft smile.

"You have nothing to be sorry for."

"Sorry to interrupt the moment," We snapped our attention over to Douxie who was standing in front of a working time portal. "We've got a timeline to save." I looked back to Claire, a lopsided grin on my face like I have always given her.

"One last adventure?" She pulled out of my grasp, grabbing my hand when she could.

"With you? I'll go on a million." She gave me a wide smile as her thumb rubbed gently against the back of my stone hand. "I love you."

"I love you too, Claire." I looked back towards Douxie who was giving both of us a saddened look. Even though I had not told him the effects of our trip back, it was obvious he understood what the interaction between Claire and I meant. "Let's go."

When I pushed the crystal into my chest, I didn't think that I would live through it. I was willing to sacrifice myself for my friend's safety. I was willing to give my life for theirs. I thought that would be it. I would die from it and go to whatever after was chosen for me. Getting pulled back and forth between the present and my own mind was not what I was expecting. It was as if I was in a lucid dream. I was aware of what was happening, at least to the slightest extent.

The rest of the experience had faded until I came back to reality in a larger form than I was used to before. My chest was sore, possibly due to the corrupted stone that was there as my view focused on Claire.

Then suddenly she was gone again, and so wasn't I. I remember screaming out to her, but that was all I could do as my limbs became like that of cinderblocks. My vision went black as I felt as if my soul had left me for the slightest of moments. As suddenly as I had gotten acquainted with the feeling, it was as if I was forced back into the life of the living. Hearing the sounds of rubble falling around me as I fell to my knees. The first thing I realized was the pale skin of my own hands that I thought I would never see again. I looked out to where I remember Claire was standing to see her in tears. I wanted to run towards her, but the best my body could do was stand slowly back to my full human height. As if she could tell what I desired, she ran towards me and held me as if I was going to fly away with the slightest gust of wind. I felt myself smile as I held her as close as I could to me. All ten fingers that I had now either found their way to the back of her head and into her hair or sat on the lower dips of her back. Her warm tears pooled onto my old blue jumper jacket as she buried her face into my shoulder as I just held her there against me.

_Maybe we can have that future after all._

_Maybe we could have what I dreamed of for us._

_A wedding dress? A picket fence? Some little feet paddling down wooden floors? Who knows?_

I sighed as I pressed my cheek against her hair. It was a little bit more difficult since I wasn't towering over the sorcerous, but it didn't bother me as I felt her thumb rubbing lightly at the nape of my neck as she now had her face in the crook of my neck.

_With our lives, you never know. Time is a fickle being when you think you have so little of it._

_But as long as she's by my side, may it be on my deathbed or just a normal day, I know I won't mind. Even if I can't sleep at night from all I put myself through, I don't care._

I felt myself pull Claire closer to me as I brought my arms down to her waist.

_I have a few blessings. Her being one of them._

_That's all that matters._


	10. I Love You

I laid still as Claire's head made my chest her pillow. Her arms were wrapped around my waist and I felt at ease with what the two of us have been through the rest week.

_Or was it a day? It still confuses me how that stuff translates to the present._

I listened as the rain pelted against the window with ease as I toyed with the material of Claire's old Hamlet sweater as my right arm sat behind my head. I was so used to sleeping on hard surfaces that it was the best I could do to feel comfortable enough to sleep within my old bed. I blamed the fact that I was so used to only getting five or so hours of sleep if I was lucky as to why I had awakened from such a short amount of rest.

_Doesn't help that when I was in school I got about four hours of sleep on a good day._

I chuckled lightly to myself as I took a chance to look around my room. My mother kept it the same as it always was. I thought she would have replaced it with a nursery, but I guess she decided to turn the old spare guest room into one for the children from the Darklands. She did add dark out curtains to the window though. I could understand the addition to the room since there was the whole half-troll scenario we went through. It was difficult enough to walk while the sun rose behind me. If it weren't for Claire's help and Toby's reassurance, I would have had a mild panic attack from the heat that pelted my back.

_Well, my reaction is valid with how not even a week ago in Camelot I was nearly turned to stone by the same sunlight within mere hours of arriving in that time period._

I shook my head just the slightest as I tried to get the idea out of my head.

_I swear with everything over the past year, I'm going to need a lot of therapy. Or at least a new outlet besides Trollhunting._

Just the thought of Trollhunting caused a frown to present itself on my face.

_I felt, bare, without the amulet. It had been my guide in my darkest moments. Since I found the object, it had shown me the best and the worst parts of me. It showed me who I truly was as well as what I could be. It was my crutch at times. It reminded me of my destiny. Reminded me of why I was going through what I was at the time. But now, it's gone and I felt as if a piece of me went with it._

I smiled as I heard Claire mumble in her sleep as her head burrowed a little more into my chest.

_At least I have her. Through everything, she was there right beside me. From escaping the Darklands to becoming a half-troll, she held my hand through it all. I have no clue what in the world did to deserve her, but I'm thankful all the same. If it wasn't for her and Toby, I would have fallen apart through all of this. If not from my battle with Bular, then the Darklands. If not the Darklands, then from the _ _Eternal Knight._

_I could have been so lost if it weren't for them. Especially with how Claire was willing to leave her whole life behind to join me on guiding the trolls to New Jersey. I was still trying to get used to the whole half-troll thing. My senses were heightened, my body was a lot less exhausted than I was used to, and my mind was still trying to wrap around the idea still. I got accustomed to it rather slowly, but there were moments I would feel completely lost. That I didn't know who I was anymore._

"You need to get some rest, Jim." I looked down with a smile as I saw one open hazel colored eye looking back up to me.

_But whenever I was lost, Claire was always there to find me again._

"I did." I brought my hand up to brush my fingers through her hair. I knew she didn't care for her hair since it grew out. The long dark strands would always block her vision or get in the way when we were training, so she went with tying it up in a small bun almost always when we were traveling to New Jersey. Yet as I sat there and toyed with the hair she let pool over her shoulders, I found her as beautiful as always. She brought her head up so her chin rested on my chest as she looked up to me completely. She hummed for a second in reply before actually speaking.

"And you slept for what? Four hours?"

"I think its literally impossible for me now to sleep any longer than that." This got a chuckle from the girl as I brushed her hair back once more.

_Even after fighting in a war in a time period way before our own, it is still probably the softest thing I have ever felt._

_That or the fact it is the first soft thing I've encounter since becoming human again and I'm just getting used to feeling stuff like this again._

"To be honest, I feel the same. I've been trying to force myself back to sleep but it alludes me still." I chuckled at her as I brought my arm down to wrap it around her waist once more.

"_Alludes _you, huh? I don't think we spent that much time in Camelot, did we?" She gave me a halfhearted glare as my small laugh only continued. "Hey, don't look at me like that. You said it."

"Eres un idiota. Pero eres mi idiota." I smiled as she unwrapped her arms from my waist to place her hands on both of my cheeks.

"I'm only an idiot for you."

"Really? I thought you were an idiot all the time." I watched as a smirk appeared on her face as she pushed herself up a little. I felt the humored look of my face from before fall as she spoke though.

"That's a little uncalled for, don't you think." I placed my hands on her waist as she leaned in to place her forehead against mine.

"All is fair in love and war, mi amor." I smiled as her lips pressed themselves gently against mine. Even after several kisses, I could still feel my heart pound in my chest as our lips moved together in their small dance. It was gentle and sweet, but it caused sparks to fly within my mind and stars appear in my eyes. After what felt like minutes, we pulled apart from one another to see the other smiling like a fool. I took my right hand and reached up to tuck away the loose hair behind her left ear like she always did when we were in high school together only to be rewarded with a large smile from the Latina laying on top of me. The small action causing three little words to dance around in my mind.

_Come on, Jim. She said them to you how many times since you transformed? You can't even count it on both hands and you have ten digits now! _ _Hell, she even made sure to say it when she found you in the Shadow Realm. You know you feel the same, so why are you hesitating? Just say it! It's not like something terrible is going to happen if you say-_

"I love you." I watched as Claire stiffened within my grip for a moment while I started to already mentally panic.

_Fuck fuck fuck. What did you do?! Look at her! What were-!?_

My mind shut off as I felt her lips capture mine once more. My eyes went wide for a second before they fluttered shut instinctively. Yet as soon as the kiss started, she pulled herself away and buried her head into my neck.

"I love you too, Jim." I smiled laid my cheek on the top of her head while her arms wrapped themselves around me once more. "But we should try to get a bit more sleep." I hummed in reply as my right hand toyed with her Hamlet sweater again. This caused her to giggle softly at my reaction as I felt her tilt her head to place a quick kiss to my jaw. "Goodnight, mi amor."

"Sweet dream, Claire." Slowly but surely, I felt her breathing become steady as I continued to hold her close as I felt my eyes close on their own accord.

_Good night, good night! _ _Parting is such sweet sorrow, t_ _hat I shall say good night till it _ _be morrow._

I chuckled lightly at myself as I felt myself drift lowly into sleep once more.

_Wait. Didn't I poke fun at her for using my lines last time? Well, it doesn't matter I guess. Just as long as she's still here._

I felt myself smile like a fool as I didn't give it any more thoughts before I allowed the wave a slumber to take me with e


	11. Nothing Important At All

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I don't know why but I just had this weird but kinda cool idea about a "fake-dating" AU for Jim and Claire where it revolves around the idea of Jim being a guitarist and songwriter in a band with Douxie and Claire is an actress with a not so vocal love for music. I hope you guys enjoy it!

_When Mary said that she had an idea on how to keep my name in the mainstream outside of burning me out between acting projects, I would have never thought it would involve "dating" a man I had never met before._

_To be honest I should have said no to this whole 'date one of the members of this band' thing when Mary had brought it up to me. I thought she was insane, but she somehow convinced me to come to this 'date' with a member of the band, The Hunters. I met them before a couple of months prior and all I had to say after I agreed was that if it was the lead singer, I would "Run away as if I was being murdered" due to how the cocky leading man acted._

_But as I sat here in front of the blue-eyed guitarist and songwriter, I couldn't help but feel as if I was out of my element._

"Alright." Was the first word that the dark brown haired twenty-something-year-old said as we sat across each other in a decently dimmed cafe as our managers sat not too far away from us. "I know that both of us weren't really keen on this idea, but let's just try our best to make the most out of it. So what do you say? Friends?" A small smile danced on his lips as he reached his hand across the table for me to take. I could tell that he felt as awkward as I was by the way that he spoke.

_Well, I think anyone would when you're supposed to act like you were dating the person you barely know that was sitting across from you. It's a comforting thought that he was just as nervous about the idea._

I took my hand and slipped it within his with a smile. "Friends." I shook it once to the beat of the word and then shared a slightly larger smile with the lyricist before separating our hands. What I could say about the musician was that he was attractive, to say the least. He let his hair do whatever it wanted by the looks of it and it gave him this messy yet somehow groomed look to him. He had on this leather-like jacket that I learned was a signature part of his outfits that was the same shade of blue as his eyes. A black t-shirt that clung to his chest with a matching pair of black jeans. I didn't know what shoes he wore since I honestly couldn't leave his eyes for any longer than a minute or so. He was clean-shaven which left a scar he had on his left cheek on display. He had a rough look at him, but when he smiled he changed from this persona that screamed that he would take on anyone in the room to one that was just a shy awkward teenager in a grown man's body.

_Again, he was attractive, to say the least._

"So, what do you like to do when you're not on set?" I snapped myself out of my thoughts and instantly gave the musician a confused look. "Hey, you're the one that agreed to be friends." I gave the man a small laugh as he gave me a lop-sided grin in response.

"Acting was originally my hobby, actually. When I was a kid, it was just something my mom put me in to keep me busy. But when I grew older and started taking it seriously, she started to try to claim that it wasn't good enough as a career." I placed my hands on both sides of my coffee cup as I gave the lid my full attention. "My father was the one that actually took me to my first audition since he was the one that always told me to follow my dreams. I actually got the part as well. Needless to say, the rest is history." I laughed at myself a little as I looked back up to the guitarist. "But besides acting, I do have a love for music and art. Even though I'm terrible at both of them. What about you?"

"I write."

"Is that so?" I put my chin in my hands as I placed my elbows on the table as the man opposite me gave me a small laugh to my reaction.

"I know, a lyric writer writing huh?" He chuckled at himself before he continued. "When I was young, I had a hard time talking to anyone about my feelings or the things that I was going through. So when I was seven or so, my mom bought me this journal to help me express myself. She told me if something was too hard to say out loud, I should take the time to sit down and write it out, then maybe it would be easier to speak to her about it. I continued with it ever since. It's how I come up with a lot of our songs, to be honest." He took his left hand and started rubbing the back of his neck with a small smile. "Besides that, I like to toy with anything that has a motor. Specifically anything like a motorcycle or a Vespa, but anything mechanical that I can get my hands on, I'll mess with."

"Is your manager ever afraid of you screwing yourself up doing something like that?"

"Oh, totally. Eli had a heart attack once when I showed up to a show with my right index finger in a splint after I got it stuck in a gasket. My best friend Toby though took the blame and said that he accidentally slammed the hood on my finger." We both shared a laugh in the story. "You said you were interested in music and art? You'll have to show me what you've got." He gave me a broad smile as I shook my head with a chuckle.

"Oh, you don't even want to know. Trust me. Mary can tell you stories from when we were in school and we tried to be a cover band of our favorite musicians. Did not end well for anyone involved."

"Aw, you can't be that bad."

"We sounded like toddlers on toy instruments."

"Okay, maybe you were that bad." We shared a laugh over our responses to one another as I took another sip out of the water that I had before me. Mary and Eli made sure that no one was to disturb the 'date' that we were having, so they ordered our drinks in advance. I guess Mary wanted to make sure I wasn't going to spill anything on myself with how she got me a tall glass of water. Jim, on the other hand, had a coffee cup that was hard to see what it truly was within it. "We all start somewhere though. Douxie would pull his hair out at times at how I would hold down the strings on the fretboard." He swallowed the coffee he allowed in his mouth before giving me a wide smile. "He was probably two lessons away from wanting to beat me with _his _guitar."

"You're joking. With how I saw you and him act together it looked as if you two never get angry with one another."

"Oh I can be the vain of his existence at times. You should hear us during some of our song writing sessions."

After what felt like hours talking to him, it felt like we known each other for years as I laughed whole heartedly at what he said.

"You're kidding! Your mom married Mr. Strickler?!" He chuckled at my reaction as he held his left hand up with his over over his heart.

"I promise I'm not toying with you! It was probably the weirdest yet most satisfying performances I ever did though." I gave him a confused as I leaned onto my elbows that I had resting on the table.

"You performed at your mom's wedding?"

"It was Walter's idea, actually." He scratched the back of his neck nervously. "He said he wanted their first dance to be special and asked if I could sing a song for them." He dropped his hand from his neck and grabbed his second coffee cup we were given by a kind waitress that came by us. "You have no clue how nerve-wracking that was. Especially since the teacher that always taught me to never procrastinate only have me _four days _to put the whole thing together."

"How did the boys take the challenge?"

"I actually did it all myself. Just me, an acoustic, and probably seven Red Bull's." I gave him an impressed look as I leaned back in my chair.

"So you sing, write your own songs, and your a full blown mama's boy, but you're only really known for your jacket and guitar skills? What a shame." I saw him give me a shy smile as I noticed the slightest change in pigment in his cheeks.

"If you put it like that, then I guess it is." His demeanor changed as a more reassured smile appeared on his face as he leaned against the table himself. "But from what you told me, there's quite a few paintings that the world should see. Only being known as a the girl that played the witch Emily La Fey is a shame as well." I felt a blush appear on my face as I crossed my right leg over my left while my phone vibrated on the table. With a glance I saw that it was Mary.

_Ready 2 leave yet?_

_I swear 2 God C-Bomb ur taking 4ever._

_I WILL COME OVER THERE N GRAB U MYSELF_

"Something important?" I smiled as I looked back up to the blue-eyed guitarist.

_If you asked me on the way here if I wanted a way out of this 'date', I probably would have accepted._

_But now that I know the ocean eyed young man across from me better, it made me wish it truly was one._

_Somehow we never crossed paths no matter how close it seemed now that we could have. We went to the same school, we had some of the same teachers, we came from the same town, yet somehow neither of us knew the other. Just tells you how small the world truly was._

"No. Nothing important." He flashed me a toothy smile before taking another sip of his coffee.

_Nothing important at all._


	12. Like Some Kind of Human Black Widow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I was fucking around on Tumblr like always whenever I get hella bored and I saw that someone was calling for a Spider-Man kiss scene for Jlaire...
> 
> And my brain went fucking bet but lets do a twist to this.
> 
> That is all for this one-shot. I hope you guys enjoy it!

_When I first got my powers, I never thought that it would lead me to a moment like this._

The rain poured heavy as I hung upside down from a web I shot up and was hanging from somewhere.

_How does that even work? I never really asked that question but I don't think I'll ever get an answer._

I mentally shook myself out of my thoughts as I watched the hazel-eyed Latina look over my features as if I was exactly what she was hoping for under the mask she slipped off not too long ago. I would have stopped her if this wasn't my first run in with her where I desperately wanted to tell her my secret.

_I was fighting myself for weeks as I started getting closer to Claire. I knew if I didn't tell her that she'll think that I was just being an asshole with how many study sessions and rehearsals I've been missing due to hero things. But the fact of her knowing would put her in danger was the thing that ate at me the most as I contemplated the idea._

_But as I hung there, it's not like I had a choice anymore in the matter._

I felt her hands place themselves on my cheeks, her left still holding the mask that she slipped off my face as she still looked over my features as if she was putting the puzzle pieces together.

"Well." She let out a breath for a moment before speaking once more. "This explains a lot." I chuckled lightly at her as a small smile appeared on her face.

"That's all? Not going to grill me on not telling you before?" I felt her thumbs run up and down the sides of my jaw as her free fingers not holding the spandex mask went to the hair at the nape of my neck.

"Oh I would if I didn't just witness a reason as to why."

_"Tell us what you know about the spider kid!"_

_"I have no clue what you're talking about!" I swallowed dryly as I saw Claire having a knife placed dangerously closely to her neck._

_"Stop lying to me! That fucker needs to pay for his meddling and the story goes that you're one of his favorites to save. Now tell me!"_

_I jumped in soon after that. I couldn't handle watching her being in danger due to me being way too close to her. I knew I had to do something. It's my fault that she was put in that situation. I had to help her. What else was I supposed to do?_

"But I'm not a girl that needs to be saved." I smiled widely at her as I saw the smirk appearing on her face.

_It's always as if she could read my mind. No wonder why I always liked her. She could read me like a book and it was a rather enjoyable change in comparison to what I was used to._

"I never said you needed to be, but what kind of hero would I be if I didn't lend a hand?" I gave her a toothy grin which only caused her to shake her head lightly at my statement while a memory danced within my mind.

_"How many more of these are you going to miss, Jim?" I gave her a toothy grin as I scratched the back of my neck gently._

_"I'm sorry, Claire. I promise I'm trying my best here." She stepped closer to me as the lights within the house casted shadows against the window of the bodies that were crowding within it._

_"I know there is something more going on, but I won't force you to answer me." She looked down to the small distance between us before looking back up to me once more. "We've been friends for years so I know that digging for an answer will just lead me to a dead end." She placed her hands onto my shoulders as her hazel eyes peered into mine as if she was looking into my soul. "But you know you can tell me anything." I smiled softly at her as my mind was screaming at me to just tell her the truth._

_"I know. I promise I will when I can." This caused a happy look to appear in her eyes as she pulled me into a hug while the music from the small party was barely audible out on her porch._

_"I look forward to it, Jim."_

"I wanted to tell you. There were so many moments I wanted to drive to your house, sneak through your window, and explain it all to you." Her thumbs were now rubbing gently on my cheeks. I felt my face flush as I looked at the soft gleam that was within her eyes.

"I know." Her voice was soft as she seemingly stepped closer to me.

"You know that now you actually know what I've been doing, that you'll be in even more danger, right?"

"You mean that my normal Tuesday will now be my everyday? I don't think I'll mind that." I chuckled lightly at her as a lopsided grin appeared on my face.

_I knew within the last year that Claire had started feeling the same way I had about her. But right before I was planning to tell her that I felt the same, I was bitten by the spider that caused my powers to emerge. I always wanted to tell her how I felt before I let my powers be known so I knew she was still wanting to be with me, for well, me._

_But the way she looked at me within this moment was the same as she did ever since her friend Mary said she first started getting mutual feelings for me. It was enough to tell me that she didn't think of me any differently than she ever had before._

"What would I do without you, Claire?"

"Be a lost puppy." My lopsided smile only spread a little wider as I could feel her breath on my skin with how close she was now.

"So you're not afraid?"

"Why would I be?" My eyes caught hers once more. They seemed like bright hazel lights within the darken scene from the heavy downpour. I reached out and tucked a drenched strand of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. This wasn't something that wasn't abnormal for us but usually it wasn't merely inches away from each other and I couldn't seem to get myself to pull away from her. I leaned in slightly closer as I leaned into her touch.

"You're not just saying that because I look good in this suit, right?" This caused a full laugh to come from her as she glanced up to the rest of my red and blue spandex suit that Toby and I had flung together after I first got into the whole mess that was spider based superhero antics.

"That's just an added bonus." I smiled as the small distance between us was bridged. It was a little different since I was still hanging upside down but the feel of her soft lips on mine was enough to make me forget about the whole situation as her hands printed themselves on my cheeks as my hand slipped into the back of her hair. I could lose myself forever within that moment.

"Warhammer to Spidey. Warhammer to Spidey! We got an issue near the museum on the corner of Delancey and Boulevard."

I ignored the sound of Toby's voice as Claire and I held each other in place for a moment as the rain continued to pelt us gently. It felt like a dream. Set for in my dreams when I first started wanting to be with her like this didn't involve hanging upside down from a web like some kind of human black widow.

"J! We REALLY need your help here! Stricklander's back on his shit again!"

I groaned as I pulled back from Claire to grab the communication com from my little belt I had strapped to my waist to hold it up against my face to give my response.

"Was a little preoccupied. I'll be there as soon as I can." I slipped it back into my belt after making sure it was off. I jumped down from where I was hanging, twisting at the waist so I could stand before Claire with a toothy grin. "Sorry, duty calls."

"Now I know how you always seem to know where to be though." She placed my mask on top of my head and started pulling it down for me until it was barely under my nose. Quickly, she placed a chase kiss on my lips before pulling it back down completely. "Just be safe, okay?"

"When am I not?" This caused a smile to appear on her face as she patted my cheek before pulling back.

"Go get 'em, Tiger." I gave her a small nod before shooting a web behind me to pull myself out of the small alleyway that we were standing in. Once I was on the nearby rooftop, I fist bumped the air before doing a small backflip after jumping off the side of the building to shoot another web to swing across town toward Delancey. The only thing playing in my mind was the airy giggle of a hazel-eyed Latina while the breeze and cold rain greeted me like an old forgotten friend.

It didn't care for me in that moment what kind of hell Stricklander was going to put me through today because Claire Nuñez knew who I was, didn't seem to change her opinion of me, and also, but most importantly to me personally, had kissed me.


	13. Distance Makes the Heart Grown Fonder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my lovelies! How are y'all today? I hope everyone is doing well and happy. I'm in a hella good writing mood so I hope y'all are ready for a lot of updates to this and some of my other stories. At least I know those like me trying to find new stories to read or waiting for updates can relish in this lol.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this update! Much love, everyone!

_"I wish I could see you. You know, beyond just Face Time and photos." _I chuckled at Jim's words as I looked up from my notes to my phone that showed me a smiling pale blue-eyed boy with one of his iconic lopsided smiles while his hand held up the side of his face.

"It's only for a few more months until the semester's over, Jim. Also," I looked over my shoulder to make sure my dorm mate didn't decide to barge in at that point as I brought my attention back to him. "I can always portal myself over."

_"I don't want you getting in trouble or pushing yourself too hard. Don't tell me you're not! I remember those dark circles under your eyes like no tomorrow." _I rolled my eyes jokingly at him as I shook my head for a second.

"It wouldn't be anything too major. I've done it before." I gave him a smirk as I brushed my bangs out of my face with my free hand.

_"I know. You literally almost scared me to death doing it." _I giggled as I knew exactly what he was talking about.

_"How in the Hell!?" I chuckled as he fell out of his chair. I instantly stopped laughing though when I heard a loud smack as the Sword of Camelot fell onto its side beside him while he was rubbing the back of his head._

_"Are you okay?" I couldn't help but laugh a little as I knelt down to see if he was okay. Jim sat up slowly before looking up to me with one of his signature lopsided smiles. This time it pushed up his scar on his left cheek before he wrapped his arms around me in a loose hug as he placed his forehead on my shoulder._

_"Better now."_

"It wasn't that bad." I watched as a soft smile took over Jim's face as he glanced away for a second before bringing his eyes back toward me.

_"Not bad at all. But give a guy a warning next time." _I smiled back at him as I heard a frantic knock on his end from his bedroom door. _"That must be Toby. He said he found something near the canals that he wanted to look into and I guess he went on his own by how he's knocking."_

"Going hunting without me? Rude."

_"You know I love you and hunting equally." _We laughed a little together before the mood softened once more. _"Love you, Claire. I'll text you later."_

"You better. Love you too. Also, don't let Toby get you two in trouble again. Remember how that ended last time?"

_"No promises, darling." _He gave me a small salute and another lopsided grin before the screen went dark and it showcases how we were on the phone for a little more than two hours. With how I was at school in New York as he was taking an apprenticeship from a local culinary program and then all of the magic training I was enduring and how he was still the Trollhunter in everything but armor, it was rather difficult to find time to just sit down and talk to each other.

_But when we did, Mother of Merlin was it worth the effort. He always made everything so much lighter within my life. His smile could brighten my day, even though it was shared through a screen and thousands of miles away from each other. Everything only showcased how much I truly loved the blue-eyed hero._

_Dios mio, did I love him._

I smiled widely at myself as I took my phone off its charger to then place it into my jacket pocket before looking back at my notes before deciding that it wasn't worth trying to get back into focus over before closing my notebook along with my textbook before placing them on top of each other.

_Maybe I wait a few hours till he texts me if everything is alright and when my roommate is asleep and I can go see him as I had before? Though Douxie might give me an ear full when I see him tomorrow for training. Would it be worth it though?_

An image flashed in my mine of soft blue eyes, messy dark brown hair, and a toothy grin as the scar that traced down through his eyebrow and across his nose seemed to join in on the joyous movement on his face. I couldn't help but smile at it as I flopped onto my bed with a lovesick sign that I never thought I would hear out of myself when I was in high school, but it seemed so common now at the age of twenty.

_Yes. Yes, _ _it would be._

* * *

_ Hey, finding out it was a few Changelings running around trying to remake the order. Took care of it though. _

_Well, that's good. You're back home then?_

_For the time being, yeah._

_Good._

I looked at her text with a confused look for a moment as I placed my sword against the wall. That was until I heard the familiar whoosh of a portal open behind me.

"Enjoyed your time changeling hunting?" I turned toward her voice with a large smile on my face.

"I thought I told you to give a guy a warning before you do that?" Claire only gave me a smirk as she took a step forward.

"Didn't I?" She closed the space between us by slipped her arms around my neck while the smirk still danced on her lips in a playful manner. I only shook my head at her slightly before placing my hands on her waist instinctively.

"You know, I once thought Trollhunting was going to be the death of me." She only hummed at me as she brought herself a little bit closer as our faces were now only centimeters apart.

"What is it now?" I rubbed my hands up and down her sides for a moment as I smiled at the truthfully melting look her hazel eyes were giving me.

"You." I tilted up my head to place a quick kiss to her forehead for a moment before bringing my eye back down toward hers. "But I wouldn't want it any other way." This caused a pure smile to spread across her face as she leaned in to place a chaste kiss to my lips that caused my head to spin.

_It didn't matter how long we're together or how many kisses we shared, she always had the same effect on me she had since we were sixteen. Even with all the hardships we shared, the feelings she gave me were always constant. I will forever be that lovesick kid that thought the stars were falling for us when she kissed me the first time during the play. Just as every kiss after will always make me feel as if I'm dreaming still. She had loved me through everything. Human, half-troll, troll, and then human again. I can't even count on one hand, human or not, how many times I must have worried her. But through it all, she was still here._

I felt myself chase after her lips as she tried to make the kiss only last seconds, but my mind wasn't having it. I placed all of my feelings into it as I reached up to cup both sides of her face with my hands to make sure she knew it as well.

_I couldn't ask for anything more than that. Well, besides for her to know that I loved her the same._

Her right hand brought itself down from around my neck so that they could entangle itself into the cloth covering my left shoulder as her left hand reached up from around my neck and into my mess of hair that had grown slightly longer and bit more entangled since we were in school together. It felt as if she was saying she understood everything I was saying with the kiss. As if we were having a conversation only the two of us could ever understand.

_And that is truly all I could ever ask for, really._

It seemed neither of us truly wanted to part as we shared small kisses even though it was obvious both of us needed some air to calm our staggered breathes.

"I should portal over more often." I only chuckled at her response as I placed my hands on her waist once more. It was then I decided to trace over the features of the woman before me. She had cut her hair short once more after getting back into the 'normal' swing of things in day to day life. It was a bit shorter than it was in high school, but it framed her face perfectly in my opinion. A large swept of it was still white but it hasn't grown much more between when we went to Camelot and now. Not having to use her powers as much, even though she was improving a lot more with Douxie's help, had lent a hand in that endeavor. Yet my favorite was still her eyes. Though now there are purple flakes that appear in her irises whenever she would get stressed or emotionally invested in something, they were still the most addicting shade of brown I've ever laid my eyes on. I smiled as I rubbed my thumb gently across her cheek as I told myself I should say something at the very least.

"As they say, distance makes the heart grow fonder." She gave me a smirk and a snap of her fingers caused a small portal to appear.

"I guess I should just," I wrapped my arms around her as I felt her start trying to pull away and head into the small portal. I grumbled into her neck as she giggled at my reaction.

"Doesn't mean I enjoy it though." She brushed her hands through my hair after snapping her fingers once more, causing the portal to disappear from behind her.

"I'm not going anywhere, Jim. Not tonight at least." I pulled myself away from her neck as I gave her a sloppy lopsided grin.

"I don't say it enough that I love you." This pulled another soft giggle from her as brought her hands to my face so she could rub her thumbs gently over both of my cheeks. Her right hand tracing lightly over the scar that sat there as she spoke once more.

"You can bear to say it more often."

"I love you, then."

"I love you too."


	14. You Talk Too Much

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my beautiful creatures! So, I decided to just hit shuffle on my playlist and I came up with this idea all from a song called Shakin' by Eddie Money. Basically, I went deadpan "Hey, what if Claire was a lot more rebellious as the badass punk she is" accompanied with "Jim is a lovesick soft boi like always but not as fucked up from everything that happened to him in Trollhunters and was allowed to be said lovesick soft boi".
> 
> Warning though, it ended up being a bit more... Saucier than I expected. Saucier? Is that an accurate way of describing it? I have no clue honestly. It doesn't go into like, sex or anything like that, but it does have a bit a make-out scene unlike that of what I'm used to writing for these two so I guess we're going on an adventure together, mates!
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this and let me know what you think!

_Claire Maria Nuñez wasn't someone to mess with. Everyone knew it and it was all mutually agreed upon that she was one hell of a force to be reckoned with._

_Determined to nearly to stubbornness and passionate to boot caused her to accomplish whatever the hell the teenager set her eyes upon. May it be honor roll, getting the leading role in the school play, or even pissing off her parents. You know she would accomplish it if she desired. She had an aura that just screamed that she was ready to rule the world and fuck up anyone that tried to tell her otherwise. And to be honest, I think it was one of the most attractive things about her. The fact she saw the world as a challenger instead of her tormentor was both intimidating as well as empowering to watch._

_Me though, I'm just an awkward lanky kid that I thought would never get her attention. Just a normal kid following the rules and trying to keep his head low so he wouldn't catch too much attention. I just figured that if I just kept myself out of the limelight it would make high school easier for a guy like me. I followed that mindset for a little while as it did make freshman and sophomore year a lot more bearable when no one notices you exist. But when a guy named Steve started making me his new favorite punching bag, my plan went to shit. I hated it. Every morning I would get cornered in the halls and thrown around until they were satisfied before being chased off campus after the last bell rang._

_But honestly, if it wasn't for Steve and his bullshit I don't think I would have ended up on Claire Nuñez's radar._

I groaned as I tried my best to pick myself off the floor. My books were scattered about around me, but they were the least of my worry as I already knew there was going to be a bruise where Steve had kicked me in my side. It was then as I lifted my eyes slightly to notice the black leather combat boots that were standing before me. Suddenly, a tanned skin hand held itself out toward me with enough leather bracelets for me to understand exactly who it was that was before me.

"You alright there? Looks like you took a nasty kick." I brought my eyes up to be graced with the lopsided smirk of Claire Nuñez. Her short nearly black hair sat around her shoulders as the simple white strip she had dyed into almost fell into her face until she huffed a small buff of hair up to get it out of her coffee brown eyes. She had a black shirt with Shakespeare holding a heart before him all in white detailing as her normal ripped-up black skinny jeans had a familiar chain looping itself from her left front belt looped backward behind her as her normal black leather jacket hung off her shoulders with ease. I could feel myself swallow dryly as I already knew I couldn't even speak toward the punk angel even if I tried. "Are you okay or are you just planning on laying on the floor all day?" I shook myself out of my trace somewhat as I took her hand and allowed her to help get back up to my feet. We then knelt to the floor almost at the same time to gather up my notes and books that had tumbled to the floor during the small scuffle. When she handed me the pile that she had gathered, I realized that she had taken the liberty of gathering the loose pages from my sketchbook that had nearly fallen to pieces on the school tiles. I felt a blush fill my face as I accepted the extended notes and sketches with a sloppy smile on my face.

"Thanks." It was all I could muster as I tried my best to make it seem I was appreciative of her kind gesture.

Oh God if Toby was here he would mess with me until the apocalypse came.

"You're Jim, right? We have history class together with Mr. Strickler." I nodded my head as I adjusted my stuff so I could carry it within my one arm by my side.

"That's me. Good ol' Jim. Claire, right? Nice to actually talk to you. Kind of wish it was based on better means, though." I chuckled hesitantly as I caught myself before I could ramble anything further. Toby would always say that whenever I was nervous that I would speak too much and this moment was no different as I was standing before the girl I had a crush on since I first saw her freshman year.

"Yeah. Nice to actually talk to you." She giggled a little and I wasn't really expecting the angelic sound to come from the punk, but it sounded beautiful all the same. With that, the bell rang which caused the moment we shared to come to a sudden end. But instead of just turning away from me and heading down the hallway, she gave me a toothy lopsided grin before speaking once more. "Now that we actually met, make sure not the be a stranger, Lake. I'll be seeing you around." With that, she turned on her heels and started making her way toward her next class with enough grace that it would make the Queen of England jealous. As I just stood there like a fool staring after her.

_If you asked me for an exact moment when we started actually becoming friends, I wouldn't be able to actually tell you. It started so suddenly. Out of nowhere, it seemed she decided to crash within my life like a welcomed tidal wave. Almost every day I would spend at least some time with her. Either it be off-campus or during school hours, she would find a way to sneak herself into what I deemed my "Out of Sight" planned schedule. Suddenly my "Keep Your Head Low" plan turned into being someone that almost everyone knew all because I was known as the guy that Claire Nuñez was hanging out with. It even caused Steve to lay off my ass a little with his bullying becoming less and less violent as the day went on._

_That or it was because the punk herself made sure she was by my side at what used to be my daily schedule beat downs. But it didn't seem like she was doing it to get Steve to leave me alone. It seemed to me that she actually enjoyed my company which I never thought would happen in my wildest dreams._

_But there I was one day. Sitting in her dad's passenger seat as she was driving through the outskirts of town half past midnight._

She reached out and turned up the dial on the radio as a large smile started to dance across her lips. She brought her right hand to the wheel once more as the other then went through her hair to tousle around the loose locks of black as the simple strip of purple she had freshly dyed into it recently waved around with ease. Her hair was normally kept in place with multiple little hair clips but whenever we had these nightly drives, she always just allowed her dark locks to do whatever they desired.

"Don't you think you might blow the speakers out?" She only chuckled at my response as she set her left arm down to rest on the driver's side door. She turned her head toward me for a slip second as she flashed a daring grin in my direction before bringing her eyes before her once more. She had to nearly yell over the speakers as she spoke but it seemed so effortlessly from the actress.

"Isn't that the point?" I swallowed hard as I felt my face flush in the darkness. I was just thankful that the lack of light was able to shield me from embarrassment since the driver of the vehicle made it obvious toward me in the past that she loved to toy with me whenever I blushed around her. "I know this spot off by a hill. Wanna check it out?" She flashed me another daring grin before bringing her eyes back before her. When we first started having this little late-night sneak outs, I was afraid at first that we were going to get caught. The fact that her mom was a councilwoman as her dad was a rather built engineer gave me enough worries about getting either my ass kicked by her father or all holy yell being released upon me by her mother and that wasn't even adding in my own mom's wrath to the equation. But after enough little rendezvous, it made me realize that Claire had a schedule we these kinds of things. She would wait till her parents we asleep for at least two hours which would be a solid hour after her little brother was put to bed. Then she would steal the keys to her dad's car and then drive to my place within ten or so minutes where she would wait up the street with the headlights off until I got into the vehicle. Lastly, we'd drive around Arcadia for a few hours until it struck one-thirty. Then we would start making it back to my house before she would sneak the car back to her house before anyone could notice. So if she asked me about three weeks ago, I would be rather hesitant to agree but I almost instantly gave her a "yes" when she had presented the idea.

"Sure. We've got a little bit of time." I looked over toward her to see a satisfied look on her face even though her eyes were still glued on the road before her. Her normal leather jacket still covered her arms and from what I could tell by glances of her purple shirt was the fact that it was her torn-up Papa Skull concert t-shirt, but she seemed a lot softer than she normally did around others. It was as if the "Don't Fuck With Me" persona she would always present to others was started to set aside slightly for me to see the bit more sensitive side to the Latina.

"Perfect. You'll like this spot, Lake. I'm sure of it."

It didn't take us long to get there. When she drove up to the cliff siding, I instantly understood by what she meant by I would like the little spot. It had a clear overview of the city even from the passenger side seat that I still occupied. But instead of just getting out of the vehicle, Claire had rolled down the windows to the car and kept the keys in the ignition. She turned the stereo up to max before flashing me a toothy grin and exiting the vehicle. She kept the door open for a moment as she shrugged off her leather jacket to throw it into the now unoccupied driver's seat before shutting the door behind her. I followed as I exited the passenger side to see she started to grove along with the rock song that poured out of the stereo system. It was a simple sway with her hips doing most of the work but with her fingers snapping to the beat as she shook her hair out of her face, I couldn't seem to pull my eyes away from her as I closed the passenger side door softly behind me. The moonlight graced her skin gently as the headlight of the car were like spotlights to the grassy stage she was performing on. Suddenly she flashed me a smirk as she ran her hand through her hair once more.

"Are you going to join me or what?" I tried my best to speak but my words didn't seem to want to come out. So instead of waiting for a reply, she came over and grabbed both of my hands before pulling me long to the front of the car. It was only when I stood before her with the headlights shining upon me that I was able to get my words out.

"I can't really dance." She let go of my hands to place themselves on my shoulders. Her thumbs were toying with my jacket's collar as her fingers drummed the beat of the song into my shoulders.

"Have you been to a school dance before? Have you seen how they dance there? Just jumping around in acceptable, Jim." She gave a soft smile before dropping her hands from my shoulders so she could jump up and down before me before whipping her hair around a little. I couldn't help but smile at her as a small laugh escaped her. "See? Join me!" I found myself reluctantly joining along as I started jumping a little even though I felt like a complete fool. "There you go! Let loose, Lake!" She twisted around in the air as she was jumping before running her hands through her hair to get it out of her face once more. "How's it feel?" I just found myself smiling at her for a moment before stopping my jumping movements to shoot her two finger-guns.

"Crispy."

This just caused her to laugh wholeheartedly at me as she continued to move around to the beat. It didn't take too long for me to join along. We started to lose track of time as we lost ourselves in the rock music that was streaming from her dad's stereo system. It actually got to the point that we almost ended up getting caught that night.

_But throughout all of this, I never really had the guts to tell her how I felt about her. I would always get nervous whenever I even got close to it. I would always talk too much and change the subject before we could even get that point in a conversation. I knew I was attracted to her since the moment my eyes landed on her, but I knew then that I had more than just physical attraction to the Latina. I had actual feelings for her. I enjoyed everything about her. Everything from her love for her little brother to the way she spoke Spanish. Hell, it got to the point where she could read Shakespeare and I would just listen so I could spend time with her. And I hated Shakespeare for the longest time._

_What I never expected though was for her to feel the same._

"You like me, right?" The question was so sudden as I found myself leaning against the passenger side door for support within that moment. My heart was pounding within my chest as the sunset behind the lightly shorter girl. She seemed to have this halo effect from the sun even though her black and blue skull t-shirt, leather jacket, and ripped-up black skinny jeans would tell anyone else otherwise. It took me a moment to even realize she had asked the question as my mind was too preoccupied with just how beautiful she looked within that moment.

"I-. I mean. Of course, I like you. I wouldn't be sneaking out late at night if I didn't like hanging out with you."

"You're a smart guy, Jim. You know what I mean." I felt my face flush as she took a step closer to me. I found myself scratching the back of my neck nervously as I started to stutter out a reply.

"I-I mean yeah, I like you. L-Like, you're really pretty and everything but like I just always thought you didn't see us like that or anything so I just kind of kept it to myself. But I'm not like a shallow guy or anything and only like you for your looks or anything like that because well you're really cool and everything-." I didn't notice within all of this that she had grabbed the collar to my white t-shirt before placing her left hand onto the car as if to give herself leverage as she then captured my lips with relative ease. I was in shock for the first moment as my eyes widened in reply until I felt her right hand let go of my shirt collar and slipped her hand around my collar bone and to the back of my neck. After that, it sunk in that this was reality and I allowed myself to lose myself in the feeling. I started to kiss her back as I closed my eyes gently. It was then I was able to note just how soft her lips were as I felt the corner of her mouth twitch upwards for a moment before she pulled back suddenly to give me a small smirk. Her right hand was still placed firmly around my neck but her left hand now found itself over the right side of my chest.

"You talk too much." I felt a small chuckle escape me as we both leaned it to capture each other's lips once more. This time I allowed myself to place my hands on her waist under her leather jacket as I held her there gently before me. The small smile she gave against my lips told me enough that she enjoyed the small gesture. What had started as one simple kiss had turned into several as she wrapped her arms around my neck and brought herself closer against me. All I could do in reply was react on autopilot as my lips simply followed hers as my hands gripped probably a little too tight on her waist. She didn't seem to mind though as it took the lack of air for us to separate from each other. A small smile danced on her lips as her left hand found itself onto my left cheek as a dopey smile found itself onto my face. I knew I was smiling like a fool but I felt as if I didn't really need to keep my cool anymore with the girl before me. "And that wasn't too difficult, now was it?" She whispered out to me as her thumb grazed over my cheek gently. I couldn't help but chuckle as I kept my hands on her waist.

"Trust me, if I thought it was that easy, I would have done it months ago." A smirk appeared on her face as she then brought her right hand up to cup my other cheek.

"Months huh? How about we make up for lost time then?" All I could do was widen my smile in reply before a soft giggle escaped her before allowing herself to take up her own offer. Our lips found each other once more. The feel of her leather jacket sleeves on the back of my neck mixed with her lips on mine being my new favorite feelings to have ever been given to me.

_Then there were moments like now that would compete with moments like that one for my favorites._

My hands danced on her clothed waist as she sat within my lap. Her fingers were tangled within my hair as she seemed to tug on it gently every time our lips would separate between kisses. Her legs were on either side of me as my back was leaning against the headboard. To most guys, moments like these after a year of being with someone wouldn't excite them enough. But for me, every time we would kiss would cause me to become light-headed. It didn't matter if they were fleeting kisses she would give me when we were at school or those like these that turned us both into panting messes. I never needed anything more or anything less from her and even though if it was known we have nothing done anything more than this that I would be toyed with, I wouldn't mind. I never needed anything more than a few kisses to make it known that she still felt the same. I would never pressure her for more and Lord knows I would even settle for just simple hugs if it would make her happy. After a few minutes, we found ourselves placing our foreheads against one another as we just laughed lightly at how giddy we still were just to enjoy each other. A genuine smile appeared on her face as she combed her fingers through my hair seemingly without much thought to it.

"I love you, Jim." I felt a large smile appear on my face as if I had won the greatest award a man could be given within the universe.

_Well, technically, I was. I always felt that way when she said she loved me because that was the only thing I could ever wish for since I was fourteen years old._

"I love you too, Claire." This caused a joyous smile to appear on her lips before she captured mine in a quick kiss before placing her head beside mine with a content sigh. I just decided to rub circles into her back with my left hand as I just enjoyed the feel of her against me.

_Claire Maria Nuñez wasn't someone to mess with. Everyone knew it and it was all mutually agreed upon that she was one hell of a force to be reckoned with._

_But I never knew that the pure love she gave to everything she has ever done would be something I would be given by the Latina. Honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way though._

_Cause I loved Claire Maria Nuñez and Claire Maria Nuñez loved me._


	15. Covering My Bases

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly. I have no clue what to call this or where this came from but it happened. Just stuff I've been toying with as well as trying to push my boundaries with these characters.
> 
> Anyway, though! I hope y'all enjoy it though! Much love, my friends!

A loud wack rang out in the baseball field before I dropped my bat and started running as fast as my legs could take me toward first base.

"And there it goes, everyone!" I slid with ease as my toes of my right foot landed on the plate with ease. "AND IT'S STILL GOING!" I looked over toward the guy on second and gave him a small nod to tell him to go ahead toward third. Once he launched off, I followed suit toward second. "AND IT'S GONE, EVERYONE! A HOMERUN BY JAMES LAKE JUNIOR!" I felt a smile on my face as I continued running around the last few bases until I came across the home plate once more. My teammates started chanting my name as I started making my way back to the dugout they were waiting within.

Well, that was until I saw a familiar flash of purple and black within our home side bleachers.

I started jogging over toward the fence that kept the onlookers safe as I saw she was standing there with a proud smile on her face. Once I came close enough to grab onto the fence, she did the same as the only thing separating us was the chain fence.

"Nice hit, mi amor." I smiled like a fool as I felt her fingers dance against mine. Her eyes looked back into mine and I felt as if I could rule the world with her being there before me. It wasn't until then that I noticed that she was wearing a purple shirt with my number on it in black. I felt my face flush with how it was obvious now who she was watching the game for.

"Thanks, love. I'm glad you could make it. Nice shirt, by the way."

"Made it myself, Jimmy Jam!" I looked over her shoulder to see one of her best friends placed an arm over my girlfriend's shoulder. "Isn't it perfect?" I looked back toward my girlfriend as I felt a lopsided smile place itself onto my face.

"Definitely."

"Come on, Lake! Get in here!" I turned my head to give my coach an apologetic look before turning my attention back to Claire and Mary.

"I'll talk to you two later, okay?"

"We'll be here! Right, Claire?" My girlfriend gave me a soft smile coupled with a nod before I pushed myself away from the chain fence and jogged over toward the dugout.

The rest of the game came and went as my thoughts were preoccupied with pretty hazel eyes that were owned by a Latina wearing my number in the bleachers.

* * *

"Bro! That home run was killer! You knocked that thing right out of the park!" I chuckled at my best friend that placed a proud pat on my back as we started making our way toward where the girls normally parked.

"It was nothing."

"Nothing but AWESOME! Give yourself some credit, dude!" I only laughed again as I saw that Claire was leaning against the hood of her car as she and Darci were waiting on the two of us. "Hey, did Mary run off with Hank again?"

"Don't doubt it. I told her to be here right after the game but I guess she either didn't hear me or didn't care."

"I'm betting money on the second." I let Darci's and Toby's conversation fade into the background as I brought myself to a stop before her.

"Hey." She gave me a smile as she placed her hands onto my shoulders.

"Hi." I chuckled as I placed my hands on her waist. It took a lot for us to get to where we were. But I would happily say I wouldn't change a thing. Especially since the weight of Excaliber was in my baseball bag and the white part in her hair was obvious showcasing in my mind about what we've been through.

_But being able to just be kids after it all? Definitely my favorite. Especially when she was the one that talked me into playing baseball again._

_"You deserve to have something you enjoy. You used to play it as a kid, right?"_

_"Claire, that was almost seven years ago."_

_"So? You've done the impossible before. What's the difference now?"_

I smiled at the memory as she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me into a hug that I couldn't help but reciprocate.

_Definitely my favorite by far._

We pulled apart slightly as she placed her hands onto both sides of my face with a soft smile dancing on her face while her thumb danced over the scar on my left cheek.

"It's great to see you enjoying yourself."

_"But I'll burn, Claire."_

_"Jim, you have nothing to worry about. You're human again, remember?"_

_"But what if I'm not completely human!? What is I still turn to stone?! I don't-!" Claire placed both her hands on my face before placing a quick kiss to the tip of my nose._

_"You'll be fine. I promise." She took both my hands as she slowly guided me into the soft sunlight that was streaming in through my bedroom window blinds. "I won't let anything happen to you. Remember?" I smiled at her as I started feeling the warmth of the sunlight onto my hands and forearms. Before I knew it, I was standing with her in the sunlight as if I've never been afraid of it before. "There you are." I gave her an apologetic smile as I looked into her eyes that I always loved. Even more now as I saw how the sunlight turned them to a beautiful auburn color._

_"I'm sorry."_

_"You have nothing to be sorry about, Jim." She placed a quick kiss on my lips before placing her head into the small nook in my neck. "You're going to need readjusting and I'm going to be right here with you through all of it." I wrapped my arms around her with a large smile on my face as I knew her words were true._

_And they were._

"I'm happy you helped me get to this point." I kept my arms looped behind her lower back as I had a soft smile dancing on my lips. "I know it's been one hell of a ride getting from point A to Z for us, so thank you for sticking it out with me." She giggled at me for a moment before lacing her arms around my neck like she always has.

"Thank you for having me." I leaned in on instinct and placed a soft kiss on her lips. I felt her smile against my lips as she reciprocated with ease as my mind felt as if fireworks were going off within my skull. My skin felt electric as it always did whenever she kissed me and this moment was no different.

_Deya's Grace do I love her. More than the world could ever understand._

"Hey! This isn't some kind of make-out corner, you two! I get it, you've seen the end of the world together more than once, but get a God damn room!" I flipped Toby off as kept Claire close to me. Catching her lips once more as all Darci could do was laugh at us. All I cared about though were the soft lips that pressed against mine. But he was right. This wasn't the place for us to go any further than simple kisses.

_Even though I knew it would only take one lick from her lips for me to change my mind._

As we pulled apart, Claire just simply patted my right cheek as a smirk danced on her lips.

"We'll finish this later." I smiled as I knew her words were true. As they always were.

"You two are disgustingly cute." I saw my girlfriend glare over toward my best friend as a simple reply fell from her mouth.

"Fuck off." I laughed wholeheartedly at both of them as we all started getting into the car as if it was second nature to all of us.

* * *

I felt Claire pin me down against the mattress by my shoulders as she straddled my lap. We shared a small laugh as I placed my hands on her hips out of instinct. Almost immediately afterward, her lips captured mine as her fingers dug into my shoulders and her nails scratched my skin gently under my plain white shit she was grabbing onto. I felt as if I was losing myself slightly as we started a small battle against one another. Especially with our tongues. One of her hands went into my hair and tug slightly each time we separated even slightly.

_Sweet mother of-!_

I felt myself shiver slightly as I heard the beautiful woman holding me down moaned slightly into my mouth.

_I might lose my mind here. I might actually lose my mind._

We separated slightly as I leaned back into the mattress with a sloppy lopsided grin as I looked up toward the witch above me.

"Do I say enough that I love you? Cause I don't think I do." She giggled at me for a moment as she ran her fingers through my hair.

"You could stand to say it more. I love you too, though." I felt my smile widen as I felt her lean down and placed her head in the small crevice between my head and neck. Her content sigh brushing against my skin which caused my skin to tingle at the sensation. I turned my head to kiss her cheek before letting out a soft sigh myself.

_There were so many times I wanted to have these kinds of moments. Just to be here and be a normal couple with everything we've been through. Though we did have moments like these when we were heading towards New Jersey, it was kind of hard when you're surrounded by trolls._

_Also, kissing with two sharp tusks on your lower lips is kind of difficult when you're girlfriend is a human._

_Claire never seemed to mind though._

I chuckled at myself as I rubbed my hands up and down her back.

_She always told me that it never mattered on what it was that happened between us. She would always love me. Just as we always said we would find a way to save each other throughout the almost two years we have spent being trollhunters._

_Well, now I'm a 'King' and she's a witch, but it doesn't change anything._

"Hoy desperté con ganas de besarte. Tengo una sed de acariciarte." I smiled as I heard Claire whisper the lyrics as she continued to toy with my hair.

"Enredarme a ti y no soltarte. Eres tan embriagante." I placed another kiss on her cheek as I finished the beginning lines to the song. "Eres tú."

"Your accents getting better." I laughed wholeheartedly at her response as I started to toy with her hair as she was with me. "Te quiero."

"I love you too, Claire." I smiled contently as I leaned my head gently against hers. "I love you too."


	16. A Little Kid's Hero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO MY LOVELIES! Here's a really quick Halloween one-shot! Sorry for the lateness, I was at a little four-person bonfire in celebration for the holiday and it was the best four hours of my whole month at the moment lol. 2020 has been one hell of a ride and that little get together has been a highlight of it, ya know?
> 
> Anyway! I hope this helped your spooky night come to a lovely end! Much love, my friends!

"Are you guys sure about this?"

"Oh relax, Jimmy Jam! It's just trick-or-treating. It's not like something is going to jump out at us." I rolled my eyes as I adjusted the crown on my head. "Who are you even dressed up as?" I gave a shrug to him as I replied with a simple smile.

"I have no fucking clue."

_Honestly, I knew enough to know I was a prince of some kind. The gold chains on my shoulders with the weird golden pads with little dangle things were weird to me but I enjoyed the blue color of the rest of the outfit and it was rather comfortable. Claire was going to be dressed as someone she called Mal who I guess was the girlfriend of whoever I'm dressed up as but I didn't know anything more than that. All I cared about was that it made her happy._

"Claire asked me to just go along with it so I did. I wasn't really thinking about Halloween until she asked me to dress up with her anyway, so it's not like I had anything else planned."

"Really? You used to go all out for Halloween and you didn't even have a single idea on what you were going to dress up as? Who are you and what have you done with my Jim?" I chuckled toward Toby as he gave me a curious look. It was hard at first to get used to the skull make-up Darci had helped him put together, but I got used to reading his expressions once more as we walked toward Claire's house together. Darci was right to his opposite side and put an arm around her boyfriend as she gave me a sweet smile.

"Well, he's been through a lot, hasn't he? Wouldn't that be enough to change his thoughts on a holiday that's purely about creature of the night?" Toby gave me a sad look as Darci spoke the clear and perfect truth of the situation.

_She wasn't wrong. Being thrown really close to death so many times all within less than a year was difficult to deal with. Especially on the day that people decided to dress up as some of the creatures you fought against._

_There was even a kid dressed up like Gunmar and it almost caused me to go into a pure panic due to how _real _the costume was. It made my brain think there was a midget Gunmar on the fucking lose and I about lost it. Especially since I don't have the abilities I did back then._

I looked down to my hands as my left hand gripped around Excaliber which was strapped to my hip.

_Being human was something I missed more than anything in the world. About a month after the battle with Gunmar and cementing the new home for the trolls in New Jersey, I was able to sit down and realize the long-term effects of becoming a half-troll. I couldn't take the damned armor off. I miss the Amulet of Daylight, I won't lie, but the fact I was stuck in that armor for about three to four months was annoying as well. Then add in the fact that Claire almost grew sick being underground for so long and it would make me more of an anxious wreck than normal. I had to _convince _her to go up to the surface for a few hours every day so that she wouldn't have the effects of it. It was rough for both of us, but we got through it together._

_But the strength. The power that my troll half had was intoxicating in battle. Knowing that I could protect Claire, Blinky, AAARRRGGHH, and everyone else in New Jersey with ease was something that helped me with my anxiety at the time. I physically could protect them from anything, really._

_Yet being human gave me a lot more opportunities within life outside of war that I thought I would never have again._

I shook my head as I brought myself out of my thoughts gently as I noticed we were a block away from Claire's now.

_Right now isn't a time to be mulling in the past though. What happened had happened for a reason and I was given a second chance at a normal life._

I felt a smile appear on my face as I looked over toward Toby and Darci who were speaking softly between each other. Little pumpkin buckets in their opposite hands as they walked hand in hand.

_I'm going to enjoy it. As much as I can._

"There you guys are!" I looked ahead of us to see Claire jogging over to meet us halfway. She kept her white and black hair on display as her purple and black outfit seemed to be a perfect mix of how she dressed when we were sophomores and how she had changed since then. The purple and black leather jacket she had half sipped being the best showcase of this as she gave me a sweet smile. She walked up beside me and kissed my cheek as her free hand made its way into my left. "I'm happy you were okay with dressing up with me. I know it's a little weird dressing up as a character you have no clue about, but I have to say it fits you well." I gave her a lopsided grin as I adjusted my crown once more.

"Anything to make you happy."

"And here I thought the candy was going to be the only sweet thing tonight."

"And here _I _thought I wasn't going to suffer watching you two being sickenly sweet, but here we are, bitches." I laughed lightly at Toby's remark as we started making our way as a group toward the heart of Arcadia Oaks.

"Hey, you're the same way with Darci."

"I don't think we're that fucking cheesy, right babe?"

"Toby, I think we're _just _as cheesy."

"You're supposed to agree with me!" Claire and I laughed at Toby's response as Darci just rubbed her boyfriend's back gently. As we were walking down the sidewalk together though, I heard a child's voice as a few sets of hurried footsteps ruffled through the grass beside us.

"FOR THE GLORY OF MERLIN, DAYLIGHT IT MINE TO COMMAND!" Three little different laughs came from some children that cut past us and started running down the sidewalk together ahead of us. One was dressed in black and red armor that seemed to mimic the armor I wore as a half-troll as the boy beside him wore a cardboard version of Toby's orange armor while the girl giggling alongside them wore a version of Claire's. I felt a soft smile bring itself onto my face as I looked out over the three of them.

_I remembered as a kid always wanting to dress up as my favorite superheroes. They were people I idolized and wanted to be like as a child. May it have been Spider-Man, GunRobot, or any of those in between. I always wanted to end up them. To be someone that could help others in the future and be dubbed a hero as well._

_But to see kids dressed up like me only a year after I had found the amulet was something I never thought I would see. It was as if I was a real-life superhero to them and to think that they saw what I used to see in others was something that warmed my heart._

I felt Claire's hand squeezed my hand gently while she put her head onto my shoulder.

"How are you feeling?" I felt my smile widened as I leaned my head so I could put my cheek on top of her head.

"I never thought that I would see anything like that. To have little kids dressed up like us was something I would never have thought would happen when I first became the Tollhunter. I always felt as if I wasn't a really good Trollhunter for most of my time with the amulet, but seeing kids act like I'm someone like Superman is reaffirming to say the least."

"BRO! That kid did a really good job though! Did you see his sword? How in the hell did he get that?!" I chuckled at Toby's reaction as he continued. "Also, SOMEONE WAS DRESSED UP AS ME! Like what?! I'm flattered."

"Okay, TP. Stop before you get an ego."

"BUT DARC! This is like a once in a lifetime thing! I there is a kid dressed up like ME!" I brought my head back up so I could look over toward Claire and adjusted my crown once more as I enjoyed Toby's little happy rant. I shared a sweet smile with Claire as my mind started to wander off.

_I guess we are heroes in our own little ways. Each of us fighting for something or someone we loved and cared for more than anything in more than just one war._

I squeezed Claire's hand gently as I brought my attention back toward the path we were walking down.

_But we're also just ordinary kids in the same breath. Just a few teenagers that were just fighting for what they believed in like any other person._

_Right now though, as the moon is high above me and my girlfriend and best friend are beside me, that's all I thought I truthfully was. I didn't want anything else in that moment. Just a simple Halloween as simple kids. No matter how many kids were dressed up like us or our past enemies._

I chuckled at myself as my last thought played within my head.

_But if I see another Gunmar costume, that might just change._


	17. Not A Single Thing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO MY LOVELIES!
> 
> So it's currently 2:30 in the morning and I couldn't help but write this since my mind was stuck on Medieval Jlaire mode as I was trying to write an update for The Huntress and the Wizard. But I don't think all would mind so this happened instead lol.
> 
> Anyway! I hope you guys enjoy this little quick write up I've made. It skips quite a bit but I was just going with the flow and chilling soooooo yeah.
> 
> Enjoy!

As the Prince of Camelot, the sole descendent from the Arthurian line, you would think I enjoyed the thought of being king. That being the one sole further wielder of Excalibur and the protector of the most well-known kingdom this side of the hemisphere would be the dream of any young man within my lands.

But I never wanted any of it.

When I was young, I couldn't wait to uphold the ideals that my Grandfather had created. I couldn't wait to hold Excalibur as my own and protect the mortals within the lands I knew I was going to claim. But this was before I saw the turmoil that the crown had created for those dubbed inhuman within my city walls. Before I witnessed first hand the horrors those with magical abilities had to go through all due to the beliefs my family had placed within our people's minds.

Before I met _her_.

She was a sorcerous. That much was obvious to me with her white and black hair being evidence of her ties to magic and I could have sworn by just how intoxicating her eyes were that she must have cast a spell on me, but I knew this wasn't true when she smiled toward me.

"You're on the wrong side of the forest to be on your own, Prince James." I couldn't even speak as I looked over the witch's features. She was nothing like I was told magic wielders would look like or from what I have seen first hand. I was told they were all either ugly gruesome human-seeming beasts. Compare the stories to how the only other magical people I have ever met had been old man Merlin and his son Douxie, and I thought that there were only two sides to this unknown spectrum.

But she was _beautiful. _More lovely than a setting sun on a summer day or the glistening waters of the nearby lakes. With small splattered freckles looking as if they were painted by a flick of God's own brush and a smile so heavenly sweet, I couldn't see her as the horrific creatures Arthur would tell me of as a child. Then she giggled in such an angelic tone that it caused a blush to appear on my face as I rose to my feet underneath the old willow tree.

"Do you speak, my liege? Or do you bite your tongue?"

"I-I speak, my lady. It's just-." I swallowed dryly as I looked into her hazel eyes. There were flakes of gold and purple within them, only showcasing further her ties to the magical arts as I tried my best to speak. "I just have never met your kind before. Besides the two I was raised with in the castle."

"Another reason you should not be out here on your own, Prince James." She gave a sweet smile as she took a slight step forward. "Unlike me, there are many revenge-seeking beings within this forest. There are many your grandfather has scorned." I gave her a lopsided grin as I adjusted my light blue vest that covered my white tunic.

"That I know more than anyone, I believe. I came here to escape Camelot for a little while. I never meant to fall asleep under this willow tree." I brought my eyes up to her once more as a few words fell from my lips without a second thought. "But I'm quite pleased I did since I've met you here." The witch crossed her arms over her chest as she gave me a pleasant smile.

"I heard of princes being charming, but I never thought I would witness it myself."

"With that smile, my lady, I would think many would fall to your feet."

"Well, I have many fall before me but it was never due to my smile." Her smile turned into a small smirk as she then suddenly held out her hand before me. "You may call me Claire, my liege. I'm the last daughter of the ancient house of Nuñez."

"The ones my grandfather once battled against?" I gave her a confused look as I took her hand as if it was second nature to me even though my mind was ragging with a form of anxiety I had never felt before.

"Who else?"

"Then why are you so kind to me at this moment? Am I not who you're supposed to despise?"

"From what I can tell, you are nothing like King Arthur just as I am nothing like my mother." I flashed her a happy smile as I leaned forward and placed a single kiss to her knuckles.

"This I seem to be lucky for."

"Prince James?! Where have you gone?" I pulled my eyes away from the witch as I looked over my shoulder for a moment.

_I must have been gone for a while for them to come looking for me._

I turned my attention back toward the witch as I gave her a nervous smile.

"Seems I have caused some trouble I must answer to. My apologies." I gave her a small bow which she gave a small laugh in reply to that only caused the blush on my face to deepen in shade.

"No need to apologize, Prince James. I guess I shall go then. Before they believe I have done anything to you." I gave her a confused look as her hand slipped itself out of mine.

"Why would one think such a thing?"

"I'm a Nuñez, my prince. People have dubbed me many things within my life and I doubt any of them have been kind."

"Will I see you again?" She gave me a gentle smile as hurried footsteps came closer to us.

"Only if you desire it." With a snap of her fingers, a small black and purple circle appeared under her feet that she fell through with ease. I've seen such spells enough to understand that she had teleported herself to someone safe as the sound of my faithful friend Tobias came closer to me while the remains of the portal disappeared.

"James! Queen Barbara has had us searching for you since the sun was high! What are you doing here? You know the Forsaken Forest is not safe for you to enter on your own." I gave my dearest friend a smile as all I could think about was the freckled-faced witch I had met not long ago.

"I lost track of time. I'm sorry, my friend."

"It's not I you should be apologizing to, James. Your mother is quite furious with you at this moment."

"I'll make it up to her." Tobias gave me a confused look as he placed his steel hammer onto his shoulder.

"Make it up to her? You act like you're planning on running out here again." I felt a half-smile take over my face as we started walking out of the forest together. My armored best mate beside me as my mind still swirled about with thoughts of a hazel-eyed sorcerous.

"That's because I do."

I would go back to that tree for months on end just for a chance to speak to the witch. There were days I was able to meet her at the willow tree and speak with her for hours while others would either leave me disappointed since I could only spend a few minutes with her or by the fact that she wasn't there at all. But throughout these months, it was my little secret I kept as my heart began to yearn for the presence of the tanned skinned witch. Even though we were still strangers in a way, I felt as if I was beginning to become something so much more with the beautiful maiden. Especially since she confided within me that the reason she's not able to meet me at times was due to how she's the sole caretaker to her little brother who, due to my grandfather, was now the last male of her line.

"My mother made sure we were safe before the last battle she had with your grandfather because even though she was planning on the king's fall, she also knew that she and my father would as well."

"So she brought you here?"

"Since it was the place of magical creatures and the land that she knew he was too fearful to cross over into himself, yes. A cottage isn't too far from here where my brother and I keep each other company within."

"At least he has you then and you him." She smiled toward me as we sat under the old willow tree together. Her normal black and purple cloak she would wear was discarded beside her as I realized even more that she wasn't anyone I have met before her since she wore black leather breeches with a purple and black corset top with short off the shoulder ruffled sleeves to match. Her hair was longer than I thought as she had it cascading over her shoulder instead of tied back into a low bun she had when I first met her. I couldn't help but think of how beautiful she was even though within Camelot she would have been seen as a disgraceful woman with such attire. If not for the fact that she actually was blessed with magic, she would have been tied to a burning pyre by just how much she seemed to not care for the norms of our society.

_Well. At least mine._

"I'm luckier to have him than anything." She turned her head toward me and gave me a sweet smile once more before looking down at her black leather boots. "If it wasn't for him at times, I don't think I would have kept my sanity within this forest. Loneliness can change a person."

"I understand completely, Claire." She whipped her head back toward me as she gave me a confused look. "All because I live within a castle with many people moving in and out of the high stone walls does not mean that I'm not lonely myself. It actually makes it worse, if I can be honest with you."

"You can be honest with me as much as you desire, James." I smiled as I noted that she dropped the title of 'Prince' from my name. We expressed toward one another that we agreed to treat each other like our titles meant nothing to one another even though it was obvious we cared less for them anyway, but possibly due to her training in politeness as the ex-lady of house Nuñez, it caused her trouble to not address me as 'Prince'. Yet it seemed she finally grasped the ability to do so.

"The only person that truly kept me company was my best friend Tobias. Even as he's a knight now and my personal guard, we still act as we did as children together. My mother disagrees with it at times since I need to seem mature before I take the throne soon, but I never cared to try much to her dismay." She giggled at this as had a soft smile dancing on her face.

"I was the same with two friends of my own when I lived near Camelot. Merlin's son Douxie would always swing by since my mother knew his before her passing and my friend Zoe would always find an excuse as to why she needed to appear around them. Between those two, I was never as 'Lady Like'," She used air quotes for a moment as she continued. "As I was supposed to be."

"I had the same kind of tension between me and my grandfather, ironically. He always thought of me as someone that was too weak to become king due to my 'sensitivities'." I used air quotes as she had as I let out a small laugh. "He wasn't wrong, but that doesn't mean I didn't hate it still."

"Too sensitive to rule? Is that what he truly believed when it came to you?"

"As much as he believed in anything else."

"Too sensitive. Personally, I believe that being sensitive especially to your people only showcases how much you care for them and what could possibly happen as well. Makes you seem as if you care for more than just battles and weapons but for the policies that come with ruling as well." I flashed her a smile as I brought one of my knees up to lean my left elbow onto the top of it.

"And here I thought I was seen as weak by those of your caliber."

"You were never weak in my eyes. Even while our families were enemies. I always knew you were a lot more than others led you on to be."

"Hearing that from you is a lot more of a compliment than you think, Claire. Thank you."

"Just the truth, James." I smiled at her within that moment as I knew already that her truth meant more to me then more than anything else within the world.

_Even as times got harder throughout the next few months. I knew that I wanted her to be apart of my life. For better or for worse. It didn't matter what would happen to me, just as long as it was her that I got to see at the end of the day._

_Even if it meant going against what was desired from me._

"Your mother wants you to marry before she gives you the throne." I sighed as I leaned against the old willow tree.

"Yes, and she does not care to see who it is with either. Something about how she wants to marry again herself but doesn't want it to strip the title from me." Claire gave me a soft look as a playful smile danced on her face.

"At least she's being considerate about the whole situation. Speaking to you before she decides to run off and do it herself. My mother nearly forced me into a marriage until I made it evident that I wasn't going to accept it myself." I gave her a smile as I crossed my arms over my chest with a small chuckle escaping me.

"You really are something else, aren't you, Lady Nuñez?" She gave a smirk as she poked her right index finger into my chest.

"So aren't you, Prince James." I chuckled at her once more as I looked into her hazel pools with a soft smile.

"Do you regret it? Not accepting it, that is." She brought her hand back to herself as she placed them onto her hips with a small smile.

"Honestly, I do not regret a single thing. If I had accepted, my brother would have been left alone. Also, I hated the blonde boy with every being in my body so I think I might have killed the poor bastard before anything could have happened between us."

"Is it bad that I do not doubt you have the ability to do so?"

"Not at all." She flashed me a smile as she took a small step forward. "It's good to keep in the back of your mind."

"You wouldn't harm little old me now would you, my lady?"

"I don't think I could even if I wanted to, James." I felt a small blush take over my cheeks as she took another step closer. "But what about you? What do you think will come from your probably forceful courting?"

"Mother is actually letting me choose."

"Does anyone catch your eye then?" I felt a soft smile take over my face as I noticed just how close the two of us were. I knew that I could reach out just the slightest and bring her into my arms like I have dreamed of at this point in us meeting each other more than a hundred times over.

"Only one." I couldn't pull my eyes away from hers as I kept myself from reaching out toward her and engulfing her into my arms and touch. I desperately wanted to, but since I knew that it could possibly not be welcomed by her, I kept myself at bay.

"Would I know her?"

"More than anyone else." She placed a hand onto my left shoulder as she nearly closed the space between us as her presence is as close as she was caused me to no longer have a way out if I wanted one.

_But honestly, I don't think I would have even if I did._

As she placed her other hand onto my opposite shoulder, I couldn't help but bring my hands onto her waist as we were merely inches apart from one another.

"If that's true, you do know what kind of hell she would bring if she was spotted back in Camelot. Her family isn't most well-liked since their fall against Arthur."

"If anyone was to give her troubles, I would end them myself if need be." I saw a smile grace her lips as a small giggle escaped the sorcerous.

"So you would marry that daughter of your grandfather's most hated enemy? Let alone a sorcerous." I felt a smile as I felt her fingers dance up the sides of my neck and intertangled them into the back of my hair.

"If she would have me. I wouldn't ask her to leave her brother behind though. He would be placed under my protection as well if she wishes."

"I would bring turmoil between you and all those around you, James."

"I wouldn't mind the turmoil as long as you would be with me, Claire."

"We've only known each other for a little over nine months."

"I would know whichever other lady of the court that is thrown at me much less." I rubbed my thumbs gently onto her sides as I wanted so much to just lean in and prove to her that my words were as true as hers always were to me. "I would not mind the sideways glances and the threats. I would not care for those that believe I have broken some unspoken rule. All I would mind is that I would be with you."

"I just want to make sure that this is what you desire from me."

"There is nothing else I could wish for more within this world." I whispered lowly to her as I realized once more how close we were. Our faces mere inches apart as she leaned into me ever so gently. As I looked into her hazel pools for a split second, I suddenly gained the confidence to lean in and capture the witch's lips as softly as I could. My mind felt as if it went into a haze as I closed my eyes with every piece of my being felt as if I went to a state of heavenly bliss. Stars seemed to align as everything within me told me that this was how I was supposed to spend the rest of my life. Not being king, but being within her touch. Not taking a throne, but receiving her love.

_And I wouldn't have wanted it any other way._

When we pulled apart, the sound of hurried footsteps came near as Tobias was calling out toward me as he did all those months ago but I did not want to remove myself from the witch as I had done before.

"You'll come with me, won't you?" I looked into her eyes to search for any kind of reaction, but she seemed to only look up toward me with eyes like that of saucers as Tobias' footsteps came closer.

"I would have to ready Enrique."

"I would wait right here then." I saw a smile dance across her face as her nose brushed past mine for a second as if the sound of Tobias' voice did not change anything as to what she wanted to do.

"Then how could I say no?" Without another word, she captured my lips once more as I closed my eyes almost instantly at the feel of her soft lips against my own. I kept my hands on her waist as she simply dropped her hands onto my shoulders as Tobias made his appearance clear to us.

"Ja- Oh sweet mother of Arthur." We pulled apart suddenly as Claire instantly hid her face into the left side of my neck to hide what I knew was an embarrassed look on the witch's face as the knight gave the both of us a surprised look. "Well. That explains why you keep running off now." I just chuckled as I looped my arms around her as I placed my cheek gently against the side of her head. I didn't mind the knowing look that Tobias was giving me or how I knew that I was going to be given an earful by my mother when we reached the castle as I held the sorcerous within my arms. Nothing could have made me regret what I have done or what I have said to her.

_And as the years went by, nothing held me back from making them true, either._

"I never cared for these." I chuckled at Claire's brother as he adjusted the small crown on his head that symbolized how he was tied to the Queen of the castle. I walked up behind the now ten-year-old as I fixed the crown for him with a simple smile dancing on my face.

"You know, when I was your age I did not care for them either."

"How do you deal with it then?"

"I just remembered what it was for and that I had to get used to the extra weight sooner or later." I placed my hands onto the blonde's shoulders as I knelt down to look him in the eyes. "Do not think of it as anything more than having pride in who you are and who you come from. That's what got me through the years."

"So just think that I'm supporting you and sister?" I nodded my head with a simple smile as I gave his shoulders a reaffirming squeeze.

"Exactly."

"What exactly are you two troublemakers brewing? I hope you two do not wish to cause ruckus today." I looked over toward my left where Claire's voice had appeared to see her wearing the tiara that seemed to fit her so well after I had first seen it placed upon her head. She still dressed as she would when we would meet at the old willow tree, but to me, that is what made her the same woman I thought had cast a spell upon me. Honestly, I wouldn't change a thing as she still looks just as beautiful as she did back then.

_Even with the obvious swell of her stomach._

I smiled at the thought while I brought myself back up to my feet. I gave her a wide smile as she approached me and her brother before replying to her.

"On my best friend's wedding day? I would never. You know that, my love."

"You've caused trouble for less." I gave her a smirk as I placed a hand around her waist. "I'm starting to believe you might be too much of a bad influence on my innocent brother."

"Don't you think it's a little too late to have come to that conclusion, Claire?"

"Ah yes," She rubbed a gentle hand over the small swell of her stomach as she looked up at me as a sparkle appeared in her hazel eyes. The same purple and gold flakes dancing within them as they always had. "I'm quite stuck with you, aren't I?"

"Would you change it if you had the chance?" She glanced between me and her little brother for a moment before looking up toward me with a wide smile gracing her face.

"Not a single thing."


	18. Betrothal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I've just been vibing with medieval writings at the moment. I think it's a mixture of the fact that I've been watching The Spanish Princess with my mom and that there have been a lot more medieval writings within the Jlaire part of this fandom, but all in all, I'm down for it.
> 
> So here's another medieval based one-shot for y'all to enjoy! It's like a betrothal thing I wanted to toy with.
> 
> Much love, mates! Hope y'all enjoy!

_Ever since I was young, I was told that I would marry a lady my age from a land called M_ _agia._

_My mother knew the king and queen of that land well and when she realized that they had given birth to a daughter around the time I was born, she jumped at the occasion to tie our lands together by marriage when we were old enough._

_But no matter how long it has been since both of us were born, we had never met. Mother would always say that it was due to issues between our own enemies as well as how far Magia truthfully was from our kingdom of Arcadia. We have been told to write to one another, and we did, but it never fulfilled my childish imagination of who she would be. As I grew and our letters continued, I knew she was quick-witted and prideful in the most endearing form. She would speak of literature that I would never understand, but I couldn't help but read her passion-filled words on whatever novel she had smuggled into her chambers. Though it was obvious she wasn't supposed to indulge in such interest, at least from what I could tell from mother's detailings of her land's customs, I would never speak of it toward anyone. Our letters, to me, were sacred. Whatever was exposed to one another between written words were like confessions within a Cathedral. Between us and us alone._

_Yet throughout all of this, I never got to actually meet the woman I was suppose to be married to. I never even got sent paintings for drawings of her throughout the years. But s_ _ixteen cycles around the sun has presented itself and now it has been announced that we will. That we would finally come face to face to who we have been betrothed to since birth._

_This development though had made me a mess._

"Do I look presentable?" I gave my mother a worried look as I fixed my blue leather doublet that covered my white tunic. She just laughed at me lightly as she adjusted my crown on my head.

"You're acting as if she's going to despise you for being just the slightest out of sorts."

"Could you blame me? From the letters we have written, she's nothing less than a walking Aphrodite. I don't want to seem anything less than worthy for someone of that caliber."

"James Lake of Arcadia," I looked up toward my mother's eyes as she gave me a wide smile on her face. "You are nothing less than worthy. You two have been betrothed to one another since you were infants. If it weren't for the distance between our lands, you would have met Lady Claire much earlier than this." I smiled at my mother's words.

"My nerves are still running frantically within me."

"It will. I felt the same when I first met your father." She chuckled at the memory as she fixed the collar of my doublet so it laid flat against my neck. "I was such a mess to the point that my hands couldn't even hold a glass right. I nearly spilled the ceremony wine my father had the court drink for the occasion." I gave my mom a panicked look as a nervous smile appeared on my lips.

"We won't need a ceremony of some kind for tonight, correct?" She laughed at me as she stood before her throne.

"Not for tonight, no. But if all goes well, a ceremony in the eyes of God will be given." She shot me a wink as I swallowed dryly. "Now. They will be arriving any moment now. Let's be ready, shall we?" I gave her a nod as I moved to take my place beside her and placed my arms behind my lower back. As the silence became deafening within the large meeting hall of the castle, I had a single thought ragging within my mind.

_If only she will see me as more than a mere Atlas, then I would count this as a victory._

* * *

_Ever since I was young, I was told that I was promised to a boy my age who was the prince of Arcadia._

_My mother had been close friends with the Queen of Arcadia since before they had been betrothed to their own future husbands. When it came about to the Queen that I was born, my mother detailed how she jumped for the opportunity to allow a marriage tie between our kingdoms._

_I never cared for the idea. Being forced to marry someone I never knew the name of until I was seven was something I didn't find enticing as a child. I wanted to be who I was. Not who I was supposed to be. I never wanted to be a princess. I never desired the tight corsets or the useless practices of etiquette. All I ever wanted was to indulge in the arts. Instead of the balls and dance practices, I wanted to read. To write. To draw. Anything that fulfilled my imagination was what I wanted for the rest of my life. I had to learn ways to sneak around these ideas while still fulfilling my wishes of my parents, yet it was always worth it. Especially when one of my ladies in waiting would always find me new novels to sneak within my chambers._

_But at least one thing was positive from the betrothal. James actually wanted this for me as well._

_We were told to write to each other so that it wasn't as if we were complete strangers to one another. At first, I despised it. I thought with each letter I wrote that I would just find myself with another person thinking that same as my parents. That a woman wasn't meant to think but to sit beside her husband unquestionably._

_But at some point along the line, I realized that I was wrong to have ever put him in the same category as I did with my parents._

_He was honest with the fact that he did not understand the concepts that I was reading about, but would always detail that he enjoyed reading my thoughts on them. He found my need for expression endearing. That my desire for knowledge wasn't something to hide but to bestow upon the world._

_Yet even though he made himself out to be a moron of some sort at first, I realized quickly that he was brilliant in his own regard. He had a way with words that I only ever thought writers like Hrotsitha or Rabanus Maurus would ever possess. The way he wrote was elegant and was obviously from his heart. Not from some other person writing with paper and quill for him, but from him himself._

_And even if I had never seen anything of what he was supposed to look like, I felt like I knew him better than any painting could ever describe which is why I, in return, never set him any of the sketches for paintings I have done of myself or others have done of me. Our words between one another, in my eyes at the very least, showcased more about who we were than any other form of expression could._

I looked out of my carriage window as I tried my best to keep my hands still that sat on top of my lap.

_Didn't mean I was anything less of a wreck when I was due to meet him._

"You need not worry, Claire." My father spoke as he sat across from me. He reached out and placed a reassuring hand on top of mine. "The prince will be a fool to not see the beauty that you are."

"I am not worried about him thinking me as beautiful, father." I brought my attention to the man as I continued. "I am worried that our letters will not translate into real conversation."

"You have your mother's wit. You'll be quick to keep a flame if one is to spark itself." I turned my head to look out the carriage window once more as we had made our entry into the kingdom of Arcadia.

_I already feel a spark when it came to the prince. His words and ideas of me within his letters were enough for me to feel as if my parents' choice was correct, but it was more of the fact that I wanted him desperately to feel the same._

I watched as a small group of peasant girls around my age walked together with smiles upon their faces. My eyes kept themselves upon them as I felt myself swallow nervously while my mind continued.

_Because if our letters did not translate to reality, then I would much rather be a peasant girl among the masses than his queen._

* * *

We were silent as we walked within the castle's small garden path together. It was obvious between both of us since the moment we left that we were too nervous to break the silence that graced us since we had first laid our eyes upon one another.

_"Now arriving, King Javier _ _Nuñez. Along with _ _Lady Claire of Magia. The first child of the _ _Nuñez name." When we had entered the room, my eyes had landed on him instantly. When I have thought my imagination could ever give him justice, I never knew how wrong I truly was. Even from the distance between us as I curtsied before him, I could see the vibrant color of electric blue that was his eyes. His dark hair danced across his forehead in a messy swipe as it seemed his crown was what kept his hair in place. He had broad shoulders and a gentle smile as he seemed to look at me as if I was the only being within the room. I gave him a smile in return that only caused the prince's smile to widen just the slightest in response._

"To think I wouldn't be such a mess beside you." I looked over to the prince as he chuckled to himself. "With as long as we have known each other, at least from letters, you would think I wouldn't be as nervous beside you."

"So you are nervous as well? Here I thought I was the only one."

"I was taught to fake confidence since I was five. With the kingdom's eyes on me after my father's death, my mother wanted me to learn how to be strong for not just myself, but for my kingdom." He turned his head toward me and gave a soft smile as he continued. "But you seem just as confident. I wouldn't expect anything less from how you wrote, but saying you feel the same is shocking to me."

"If I have been given a gold coin for each time I have fooled others on my emotions, I wouldn't have to be a princess to leave luxurious." This pulled a joyful laugh from him as I felt a smile appear on my face in return.

_I was told for years that James was a warrior prince. A young man willing to fight for his kingdom in his mother's name no matter who it was that he was being put against. The scar that danced from his right eyebrow and across his nose to his left cheek was enough evidence of this._

_But as he laughed to joyously and smiled like that of a child, it was as if I couldn't tie the battles wounds he carried to the person beside me. He was too gentle to seem as if he could harm anyone. Especially with the soft side glances he was giving to me._

"I'm glad. Your wit is just as cunning in person."

"You haven't spent enough time with me yet. My wit will be your demise if you let it."

"What if I desire it to be?" I felt a soft blush appear on my face as his voice sounded as gentle as the look within his ocean eyes.

_Here I was worried he would not feel the same spark that I had felt within our words._

"If it means anything to you, you're beautiful." He pulled his eyes away from me to look ahead of him. "Like one of those goddesses you spoke about within your literary endeavors."

"You read them?"

"Would you think I wouldn't?"

"Never thought anyone would, honestly. Especially when others would rather have it that I would never read them in the first place."

"I find the enthusiastic writings of your readings entertaining. I could listen to you speak of one as long as you would let me."

"Do not sign yourself up for something you don't know. I may actually do it if you let me." He brought his eyes back toward me with a wide smile on his face.

"What if I want you to?" I gave him a genuine smile as I couldn't help but loop my left arm into his right. My hand placed itself onto his bicep and he instantly placed a hand on top of mine.

"Well, there was one I read on the night before I was ushered into the voyage here."

"Indulge me then, my lady."

* * *

I couldn't help but keep my smile even after Claire and her father had left for their kingdom.

"I can see that you enjoyed your time with her." I chuckled lightly at my mother's reaction to my joyous mood.

"I was frightened that I would be too nervous to even speak to her, but I guess I was not the only one from what she had stated."

"Is she everything you imagined?" I gave her a shocked look as she just laughed lightly at my reaction. "I'm your queen as well as your mother. There is nothing you cannot hide from me." I smiled at her as we continued on our way down the corridor together. "I guess I will be in contact with the king and queen of Magia soon. We seem to have a lot to speak about since both of you seem to enjoy each other." I blushed at the thought as I put my hands behind me as I did when Claire had first arrived.

"Even though I agree, please do not toy with me."

"I am your mother first and always. I will always toy with you on your endeavors. I have the right to. Even when you become king." She smirked ar me as she nudged at me with her right elbow. "Even when you marry."

"Mother. Please."

"Mother I, and I refuse."

* * *

"Father. Please. I do not need you toying with my happiness within this moment."

"With that smile on your face, I have every right to. Here I thought you would run for the hills once we left the two of you alone."

"I still despise the idea of betrothals," I stopped for a second as I glanced out of the carriage window at the fleeting figure of Arcadia's castle as we rode past the kingdom. "But I've always enjoyed James."

"So if we gave you the choice, you would choose him yourself?" I blushed at the idea as I looked toward him.

"Even if he was nothing more than a peasant. Even if you would have never approved." He smiled widely at my statements as he gave a single nod.

"I shall be expecting word from Queen Barbara then probably as soon as we arrive." I smiled at the idea as I looked back out the carriage window once more.

"I cannot wait then."


	19. Scar Worship

Scars were something that was common in wars.

They danced crossed the skins of warriors to prove the fact they have seen hell and someone appears on the other side within one piece. Physically, of course, but they were a showcase of strength. A showing of courage and grit within times of hopelessness and pain.

The scars Jim bore were no different to me.

He had a few. One that danced through his right eyebrow. Another that went over the bridge of his nose and another that contoured his left cheek. There were a few more than spotted his body in faded lines of formerly damaged skin, but those were the ones that bore themselves to the world. The ones he couldn't hide.

The ones I knew he hated each time he looked in the mirror. Just as he hated all the others.

I knew there was one that was in a circle on his chest right over his heart where the amulet used to lay when he used to call upon Merlin's armor but he refused to go without a shirt ever due to it. Some covered his arms which he covered with his jacket sleeves. He covered them all. Even the ones that covered his fingertips from what I knew weren't from being the Trollhunter.

As he sat before me on his bed looking into the handheld mirror I had asked him to hold for me, I felt sorrow for the boy that I had seen carry the world upon his shoulders. I wanted to whisk him away if I could to another plan. Somewhere where he could feel as if his demons from the past year wouldn't haunt him anymore, but I knew this wouldn't help him.

_But I knew something that could._

A habit of mine whenever I saw him like this was to kiss the scars I knew he hated more than anything. Starting with the ones on his cheek and making my way around from there. Whispering how much I loved him as I did so. Whenever I would pull back from him, he would also look up to me with tear-filled eyes as the same question would always fall from his lips.

"How can you do that?"

"How can I not?" My normal answer fell from my lips as I smiled at him. I cupped his face within my hands as I saw the dam that was holding back his tears starting to break. They welled up into the corners of his blue orbs while I felt my heart nearly broke at the sight. I leaned forward and placed a kiss onto his right eyebrow before pulling him into my arms. "They're yours." He wrapped his arms around me and gripped onto the sweater I was wearing as if it was some kind of lifeline. His fingers digging into the fabric and bundling it within his hands as he shook gently within my grasp. I smiled at it all as I tried my best to soothe him by playing with his hair. "You are so much more than your scars."

"They prove how broken I am, Claire." His voice hitched slightly at the end so I started rubbing circles into his back as he buried his face deep into my shoulder. "How can you-?" I knew exactly what he was going to say, so I didn't let him finish.

"They prove your strength, Jim." I pulled back from him slightly to look him dead in the eyes so he could see my words were true. I wanted him to see that I meant every word I spoke. I wanted him to know that this is exactly how I felt and nothing would change it. "You've been through hell and that's okay. You may have been a troll, but your emotions were always human. Your spirit was always human which makes how you feel right now natural for you. They are _human _of you." I ran my fingers through his hair as I continued. "You were a soldier in a war and you still are to a certain degree. Being a soldier means you'll have scars and that doesn't mean you're broken or weak for having them, but you were strong enough to endure the pain that caused them." He gave me a weak smile as I leaned in and kissed the one that was on the bridge of his nose. "And I love each and every one of them." I gave him a gentle smile as I whispered the rest of my answer to him. "Just as I love every part of you." His smile grew slightly as he leaned forward to place his forehead against mine. He closed his eyes for a minute as I watched him with skillful eyes.

"What would I do without you?" His voice was barely above a whisper as his grip on my sweater loosened so he could rub his hands up and down my back. I couldn't help but smile as I saw his eyes slowly open to welcome me with a loving look.

"I don't know. Where would you be without me?"

"Dead, probably." I smacked him on the back of his head slightly as he just gave me a loving smile. "What? It's true."

"Doesn't mean I don't hate it when you bring it up."

"I know, I know. No more near-death experiences for me."

"Or I'll kill you myself." He chuckled lightly at me in response.

"Or you'll kill me yourself." A mischievous look appeared in his eyes as he continued. "Though I think that's a little counterintuitive." I gave him a half-hearted glare.

"Shut up, Lake."

"I love you too, Nuñez." His voice was soft and gentle as he spoke to me. I couldn't help but capture his lips just as gently in reply. After a few moments, we pulled apart from one another with soft loving looks before pulling each other close once more. Him pulling me into his lap as I completely forgot what we were even doing in the first place. But as I held him close, his face burying itself into my neck as I leaned my head against his, it didn't matter.

All that did is that when he felt this way again, I would do it all over again. That he knew he was loved. Scars and all.


	20. Something Of Value

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY, SO THIS POPPED UP IN MY HEAD BECAUSE TUMBLR IS A DRUG AND IT WON'T LEAVE ME ALONE SO I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY IT!

_Being banished from my own nation was something I carried on my shoulders like that of Atlas. It weighed me down with each step I took as I tried my best to live with the burden. Traveling between nations while being seen as an outlaw no matter where I went._

_Being trialed for treason your own mother will do that to you._

_Being the exiled princess of the nation that is causing turmoil within every other nation outside of it will do that to you too._

_I don't blame them for being hostile. Everywhere I go, I bring devastation. Even within my own nation._

_But there was always one person that always seemed to find me that I never saw me as a destructive being._

"So we meet again, Princess." The blue-eyed boy crossed his arms over his chest as he spoke. His blue tank-top and water nation bands on his arms showcasing his nation with pride even though anyone who has seen him in battle would know that was not the only element he could wield. His snow boots and grey parachute looking pants made him seem a little out of his element within the forest that we were standing within, but he didn't seem to mind it.

"I'm starting to feel as if you're following me, Avatar."

"You can just call me Jim, you know."

"And I told you multiple times to call me Claire but you insist on calling me by my dead title so it's only fair." I gave him a smirk as crossed my arms across my chest like he was. My simple black battle robes tugging lightly against my shoulders as I did so.

"Fair." He gave me a large smile as he took a step closer. "It's good to see you all the same though." I fought the smile that tried to appear on my face. Even though I knew I cared about the slightly taller boy, I didn't need him getting too close to me. Not when my nation's people were after both of us. Me for being seen as a traitor and him for being the only one that could defeat my mother. I didn't want him getting hurt because of me. I knew I couldn't live with myself if he did.

"It's good to see you as well." My voice was soft as I looked over his features. His smile softened into a lopsided grin as his arms fell to his sides. His bright blue eyes looking over me as if he was peering into my soul. As if he valued me in some kind of way even though all I have ever done is brought devastation to all those who have crossed my path.

_How could he look at me like that? Like I was something to uphold? I'm a banished princess of the Fire Nation. Daughter of the woman that desired his head. The former heir to the nation that caused hell for the past hundred years. The one that nearly caused an end to his people. Caused his family turmoil. Nearly killed his friends. But he still looks at me like _that. _Like I was something he cared about. I can never understand it._

"Still being hunted?"

"Does the sun rise every morning?" He snickered at my remark as he took another step forward. My memory betraying me as it remembered the last time he was so close to me.

_"KILL THEM BOTH!"_

_"Get out of here, Avatar!" Flames engulfed my hands as I readied myself to fight after the Fire Nation soldiers nearing us. "You don't need to be caught in the middle of this."_

_"I'm _not _leaving you." I looked over toward him to see that he had already pulled some of the moister from the ground below him to circle him in a small wave of water. "Not when you might need me."_

_"I've got this handled." I ducked under the rushed fireball attack of one of the soldiers before causing a slash of fire to hit him in the chest in return._

_"Didn't day you didn't." He whipped his water toward the other two soldiers causing them to fly back a few feet. After all three of the soldiers seemed to try their best to recapture their footing, I felt a hand take mine as he pulled me toward the forest behind us. "Come on! I know a place where they won't find us."_

_"I'm not endangering you!" I hanked my hand out of his as he gave me a shocked look. "I'm not endangering anyone else. Not again." I felt tears well up in my eyes as a soldier shouted out once more._

_"GET THEM!"_

_"Run!" I pushed him back toward the forest where he was tried to lead us. "I got this."_

_"I don't want to leave you here."_

_"I'm not giving you the option!" I hissed toward him before returning my attention toward the soldiers. "Now go! Before something bad happens!"_

_"Come on, Jimbo!" The one I knew as Toby grabbed his best friend by the arm as he struggled to pull the Avatar along with him._

_"We can't leave her!"_

_"She's right! We need to get you out of here before they capture you or something!"_

_"Claire!" I ignored his screaming out my name as I continued my fight with those that used to be my own people._

_The scene fading slowly as I suddenly remembered reality was a thing._

"You shouldn't be near me, Jim. Do you remember last time?"

"The Fire Nation will come after me anyway." His voice softened as he spoke. "What's the point in trying to stop it?" It was then I realized that I wasn't much shorter than the multi-bender. He looked down at me slightly as my forehead was at the same level as his ocean eyes. "I'm happy you're okay, Claire." I felt a smile take over my lips as I felt his hands place themselves delicately onto my biceps.

_Always so gentle, isn't he? Sweet. Considerate. Everything I'm not used to._

I frowned as I realized his hands were placed firmly on my burn scars that he doesn't know exist.

_"I promise never to defy you again, mother! I promise!"_

_"Your promises mean nothing, Claire! You will learn to never defy the word of your Empress." The sound of my own screams echoing within my mind as I remember the sinister look on my mother's face as she burned me._

_"Why does she hate me, Morgana?"_

_"Cause you're weak." I gave my mentor a shocked look as her green eyes were emotionless instead of their normal soft gaze. "You're _weak_, Claire. Nothing more, nothing less."_

"Why do you care for me?"

"Because I do."

"No one else did." I looked away from him as I saw the confused gleam in his eyes.

"What do you mean?" I clenched my teeth as I heard the pitty in his voice.

_"Do you seek pitty, Princess?! You're the future Empress! Not some child!"_

_But I was seven._

_"YOU'RE WORTHLESS! You need to become stronger. You need to lose this overly emotional bullshit you inherited from your father."_

_I barely even remember my father._

_"YOU'RE NO DAUGHTER OF MINE!"_

_"YOU'LL NEVER BE GOOD ENOUGH!"_

_"Waste of time."_

_"Waste of imperial blood."_

_"Even the child is stronger than you."_

Suddenly, I felt Jim pull me into him as his arms wrapped gently around me.

"Whatever it is that haunts you, it's okay." I didn't realize I was crying until I pressed my face into his shoulder. My tears soaking the small amount of clothing that covered it. I lifted my hands up so they rested on his chest as he rubbed gentle circles into my back. He was strong and steady against my hiccuping and shaking being.

"But it's not okay."

"It _will _be. I'm sure of it." I instinctively wrapped my arms around his middle.

"How do you know?" I hiccuped against his shoulder as he whispered softly toward me.

"Because I'll make sure of it." He tightened his arms around me as he continued. "I won't let anything happen to you. Whoever hurt you before, they can't hurt you anymore. Not while I'm around."

"But they'll hurt you instead."

"So fucking be it." I tightened my arms around him in return as I whispered into his shoulder.

"But I don't want you to go through what I did. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I don't want you hurt either." I felt him lean his head against mine as he rubbed my back once more. "I care for you." He pulled back gently to smile at me. "Whether you believe it or not." I couldn't help but smile back at him.

"HEY JIM!" We both turned our attention to the voice that interrupted the moment between us as a tall blonde haired boy and a smaller one with brunette hair and glasses gave us nervous smiles. "We're just going to head back to Toby, right Steve?"

"But weren't we in charge of getting Jim back to the- OW!"

"Get moving, Palchuk."

"OKAY OKAY!" Jim chuckled at his friends as the smaller brunette pulled away the taller one by the ear.

"Some friends you have. Ironic to see them so-."

"Normal?"

"I was going to say special, but that's a lot more friendly in comparison to what I meant." He chuckled at me as I brought my attention back toward him. He gave me that same look from before. That one that made me feel valued for once in my goddamn life.

"Would you like to get to know them better?"

"What are you suggesting, Avatar?"

"I'm suggesting you come with us." I gave him a shocked look as placed his hands onto my biceps once more. "I want you to come with us. That is, if you want to?" He gave me a nervous smile as he continued. "But you don't, that's fine as well. I just, it would make me feel better knowing you're with us. I know the guys care about you too. Especially with how many times you've helped us along the way and it-." I pulled the water bender into another hug as I used the action to shush him. Also because the feeling of his arms around me was the most relieving feeling I have ever felt within my life.

"You talk too much, Avatar."

"So is that a yes, Princess?" I only gave him a gentle laugh in reply. "I'll take that as a yes." He wrapped his arms loosely around me once more as I could hear the smile in his voice.

* * *

"JIM!" I ran toward where I knew he was battling my mother. My feet rushing toward the scene as fast as they could take me. "JIM! Where are you?!" I yelled out toward the dust as my feet continued to carry me. Suddenly I saw the familiar form of the Avatar as he stood up before me, stopping a few feet in front of him to make sure it was him.

"I'm right here. I'm okay." He spoke gently toward me as it was obvious he was tired. Dried blood was on his forehead and cheek as he held his arms out toward me. His normal lopsided grin on his face as his blue eyes looked at me with that same look that made me feel like I was the only thing he valued in the world. "We're okay." Without a second thought, I rushed forward so I could wrap my arms around him for what felt like the millionth time. I clutched onto the back of his tattered Water Tribe tank-top as his arms settled around my waist. "You act like I died or something." He chuckled against me as I felt tears swell up in my eyes.

"You fucking could of."

"I told you I would come back to you."

"Doesn't mean I wasn't worried." He pulled me close against his chest as my tears seem to cascade down from my eyes and onto his shoulders.

"I promised you everything would be okay." He whispered to me as he rested his head against my shoulder. "I never break my promises, Princess." I laughed in disbelief at his calmness.

"I can't believe you sometimes, Avatar." We pulled back from each other, but not out of each other's arms. I looked deep into his blue eyes. Memories of the past few months together flooding my mind as he smiled gently toward me like always.

_I watched him intently as he scanned my burns with careful eyes. His fingers grazing over the scarred skin as he seemed close to tears due to something that was battling within him._

_"She did this to you?" I gave a simple nod as I looked away from him. The pain within his eyes nearly bringing me to tears as well. But instead of him allowing me to retreat from him, he pulled me into his arms as he whispered into my left ear. "I'll make her pay for this." His voice was dark as it wavered a little. "She won't get away with this." I pressed my face into his neck as I tried my best to fight against the tears that threatened to leave my eyes._

I felt him press his forehead against mine as the memories continued.

_I laughed gently at Steve's, Toby's, and Eli's antics as they practice battled against one another. I found out over time that Eli and Toby were subclass experts within their own respective elements. Toby being an earth bender as Eli was an air bender. Steve was the oddball of the small group since he was the only benderless fighter, but none of the three other boys made him feel any less important in comparison to them. Especially Steve's, what I can guess from what I saw, boyfriend._

_"DID YOU SEE THAT ELI?!"_

_"Totally! You knock it out of the park, Steve!"_

_"DID YOU SERIOUSLY TREAT MY ATTACK LIKE A FUCKING BASEBALL PITCH!?"_

_"YOU KNOW IT, BITCH!"_

_"Alright, guys." Jim laughed at his friends as he ran his fingers through the fur of his pet polar bear Atlas' head. "Calm down, will ya?"_

_"AW COME ON! We're just getting started!" Jim turned his head toward me as he rolled his eyes a little._

_"Never not practicing, those three."_

_"Well as the Avatar, aren't you suppose to join them?"_

_"I learned the three elements within three months. I think I deserve some downtime here and there, don't you think, teach?" He flashed me a smile._

_"I told you not to call me that."_

_"Well you did help me perfect my fire bending, I think you deserve the title." I slapped his shoulder gently as he just laughed in return. "Aw come on! Don't be modest with me, Princess." He gave me a lopsided grin as I just rolled my eyes at him._

_"Don't make me hurt you, Avatar."_

_"Oh, you would never." I blushed a little at his statement. Atlas giving a huff as he was started to hate the lack of attention. "Oh, you attention-seeking bear, I love ya." Jim laughed a little as he ruffled the bear's ears._

"I told you she would pay for what she did."

"Didn't think it would actually happen though." I smiled at him as I felt the tip of his nose rub against mine. I knew that we've been dancing around our unspoken feelings for a while now. Even before you could call us friends, it was obvious we cared more about each other than the other was willing to admit at the time.

_But now, I would scream at the top of the highest mountain if I was allowed just so the world could know._

"I love you, Claire." His voice was soft like a ripple in the ocean and his blue eyes looked at me with a happy shine within them. I knew by the look within them that his words were true.

"I love you too, Jim." I tightened my arms around him as I nudged his nose with my own. He let out a soft chuckle that caused his warm breath to brush across my lips. I felt a blush appear on my cheeks as I gripped the back of his tank-top once more. This time not due to tears or pain, but because I was restraining myself from claiming the water bender's lips with my own.

But as he leaned in, it seemed he didn't care for waiting.

I nearly gasped at the feeling of his lips against mine. They were soft even though it was obvious but the roughness at some part of the sensitive skin that it must have been busted open more times than he could count. His hands placed themselves firmly on my waist as I brought mine up to cup both sides of his face as I deepened the kiss. Our teeth clashed together sometimes and it was obvious neither of us knew what we were doing at first, but we adjusted as it went.

"FINALLY!" We pulled apart suddenly to look over toward where Toby's voice came from. The earth bender giving a wide smile at the scene as Eli held Steve up over his left shoulder. "You two have been pinning for _far __too fucking _long." I blushed at the smaller boy's words as I felt Jim place a hand onto my right cheek, gently pulling my attention from our friends and bringing it back toward the blue-eyed bender before me.

"Don't mind them, they're a little special." I couldn't help but laugh a little as I remembered the first time I truthfully met a few of the members of his little ragtag team.

"Wouldn't want them any other way, honestly." He smiled at my words as I leaned in to recapture his lips. Our friends letting out either 'aw's or disgusted sounds at the two of us. But it didn't seem like either of us minded. Sharing small quick kisses even as they continued with their small immature actions.

* * *

I adjusted the small fire insignia clip on my head as I looked over myself in the mirror.

_If you asked me a few years ago if I saw myself becoming Empress, I would tell you I would more than likely end up dead instead._

I felt tender arms loop themselves around my waist as I saw Jim's head place itself onto my right shoulder.

_And if you asked me if I would end up with anyone, I would have told you the same. Especially if you asked me if I would end up with the Avatar himself._

"You look lovely, Princess." I laughed a little at the old nickname even though I've been officially the Empress of the Fire Nation for over six months at this point.

"I don't think that name sticks anymore, Avatar."

"Wouldn't I be Fire Lord at this point or is that not till later?" I rolled my eyes at him as I placed my hands on top of his arms. I leaned back into his chest as I gave a content sigh.

_Ever since I was a little girl I thought I would never truly be happy. I was always told I wasn't worthy of such a feeling, so I just figured that it would never come._

I felt Jim press a soft kiss to my cheek before watching him bury his face into the should pad of my dress.

_But if this isn't happiness, then I don't know what is._

"I love you, Jim." He propped his head back up onto my shoulder as he gave me a gentle smile as always through the mirror. That same look dancing within his blue eyes that made me feel as if I was truly worthy of the words that I knew were about to fall from his scarred lips.

"I love you too, Claire." He placed another soft kiss on my cheek before burying his face back into my shoulder pad. "I love you too." I smiled at the gesture as I reached up to toy with the back of his dark brown hair.

_Maybe I am actually worthy. _ _Maybe I am something that can be valued. I have to be._

I tilted my head so I could press a kiss to the side of his head before leaning my head against his with a content smile dancing on my lips.

_Especially since he says so._


	21. The Knight and the Huntress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I originally wrote this idea like a year ago and I decided that since I have a shit ton of writing energy that I might as well finish this small little one-shot I created. I have no way to really describe how the idea came about, but... Well... Just read it, honestly if you're interested. It's the best way to get the idea of the AU and everything.
> 
> All I really did was minor editing and wrapping up the ending, but I think you guys will enjoy it. :)
> 
> Much love, my friends!

The fire crackled as I watched her sit there silently on the fallen tree log. She was gliding her fingers over the small circular object that was in her hands. I couldn't quite captivate within my mind what could be running through her's. All I did know was that I couldn't speak much to comfort her with us just meeting not long ago.

_Also doesn't help that your last actually memory of your life was in the Battle of Killahead Bridge._

I shook my head and decided to walk over with my hand on the hilt of my blade's handle. My faded tunic and breaches were conflicting with her rather dark apparel but when I sat down next to her, I felt a little more in place with the scene.

"How are you, Claire?" I winched a little bit at my faded accent. It has been generations since I last spoke in a decent conversation. With the whole put to sleep by a wizard thing, it took a toll on my body in more ways than one. Yes, I was somehow sixteen still after over 900 years but my body was basically kept close to death. Basically leaving my limbs barely functional and my voice in shambles.

"My feelings are nowhere near the pain that you must feel." She shook her head with a stressed chuckle. I felt my eyebrows crease together in worry. I knew that she must feel like knowing most of the people that I knew are more than likely a pure part of the earth by now should be paining my shoulders with the weight of a dead generation.

"My pain does not mean that yours must be belittled. All feelings matter, my lady. Especially those that make you feel isolated. Especially yours." I watched her looked at me with a sad glaze over her eyes. It looked as if rivers were about to break the dam that she had build within her time as trollhunter. I knew the look way too well since I used to look in the mirror and see it within myself when I first started my training as Merlin's knight. "If you wish not to speak, I understand. I am but a stranger still." I reached out and placed a hand onto her knee as I continued. "But if you ever need someone to help carry the weight of the world I will happily oblige." I gave her a soft smile as she gave me another glance and then went back to staring at the amulet within her hands.

"Have you ever just wished that you didn't do the one thing that now defines you? Like, right now I wish I never picked up this stupid amulet." I felt the pain within her voice as I watched her grip tighten around the small object. "I should have taken a different route home from play practice. I should have told mom that I wasn't feeling well and couldn't walk home. But it's a little too late for that, isn't it?" I looked over to the fire and rubbed my two hands together.

"I understand though." I could feel her eyes glue themselves onto me but I did not dare look her way. "I've been often thinking about what would have happened to me if I didn't accept that wizard's proposition to be his knight. I would have starved to death more than likely. My mother was a witch in hiding and my father ran off once he found out her true profession. I was a street rat. A thief of the night. Until Merlin found me. But now I'm here, in a world that feels nothing like how I left it." I looked over to her and gave her a smile as I rolled up my left arm's tunic sleeve. "But I have this to remind me what I'm moving forward for."

I showed my arm over to Claire and watched her eyes trace over the tattoo-like essence that was on my inner left forearm. It was a tree of life, a Yggdrasil as Nordic myths say, that has been on my arm as long as I could remember. It grew with me as I have gotten older. Staying the same vibrate image even though the rest of me has started to fade.

"It's my mother's marking." She looked up at me as I pulled my arm away slowly and rolled back down the sleeve. "She placed it upon me before she left. It was her way of saying that she would always be with me and as long as it's upon my skin, I know she's out there. It didn't fade after 900 years. Which means she made it through. But back in my time, I fought for the idea that I could someday see her again." I scanned her eyes to see her reaction before I continued. "Fighting takes a toll. Battles, wars, sabotage, it all drains a warrior. Yet when we remember what made us agree to the circumstances in the first place, we thrive." I placed a hand on her shoulder before giving her a soft smile. "There was a reason why you agreed in the first place. You just have to remember."

She gave me a smile in return. "Thank you, Jim." I gave her a small nod and we both went back to staring at the fire. The events of a few days prior replayed within my mind.

_"What the- What's with the guy in a suit of armor?!" I glared at the shorter red-headed being._

_"And what is with the dwarf withing my presence? And what is with your attire?" I looked over to Merlin as questions filled my head. "Merlin, what in all that is holy is going on here?" I watched as the older wizard approached me slowly._

_"James, before I say anything I need you to be calm." I smacked his hand away as he tried to reach out for me._

_"The last time you said such rubbish, you said that Morgana was closer to bringing the war to our doors than what you thought! If you have anything to say, you bag of mystical fairy dust, you might as well state it outright!" I placed an armored hand on the hilt of my sword as I glared at him through my helmet._

_"Alright, alright. James, my boy, I put us to sleep after the battle with Morgana. To keep us alive and to keep the ability of the Trollhunter vibrant and full. But, as you can see," He waved out his hand to the four small mortals and the two trolls beside him. "Times has changed." I gripped my sword as anger rose in my body. He tried to reach out for me once more but I backed away from him. I pulled off my helmet with my spare hand and looked at myself within the reflection of the bluish tint of the armor._

_"And just like you, I haven't aged a bit." I shook my head and placed my helmet on the crafting table next to me before I let go of my sword and ran my armored hands through my hair. I felt the anger still make its way through my blood but I leaned against the counter that was beside me. "Why didn't I have a choice in the matter? I have magic, I could've done something to myself on my own accord instead of being forced into what felt like a death-like sleep." I looked over to the four humans. Three were staring at me in awe as the one that made a rather questionable introduction of himself was obviously frightened at this point. One caught my eye though. It was a girl that was holding Merlin's amulet. "What day is it?"_

_"Saturday. April thirteenth of 2017." I felt my eyes turn into saucers as the smallest of the bunch spoke._

_"It's been 900 years." I looked over to Merlin with pure rage filling within my heart. "900 years! I've been asleep for 900 years! You put me to sleep for 900 bloody years!" I watched as Merlin gave me his normal cold and distant look that he would give whenever he thought what he did was right and didn't deserve the consequences._

_"James of Lake, you do not raise your voice at your master. Without me, you would have been another body on the side of the road. I would be thankful if I were you."_

_"But all that I knew! My mother, Merlin, what if she-!"_

_"That witch would be better off dead anyway, James! You know that! She's been in hiding for centuries!" I pulled my sword out of my scaffold and pointed it right at his chin._

_"Say another word like that upon my mother's name and I will-"_

_"It is great and all for you two to have a, um, wonderful reunion, but we have bigger fish to fry at the moment. We didn't come all the way here for nothing! The amulet is shattered and Claire needed to be able to dawn the armor, like, yesterday." I kept my sword pointed towards the wizard as I took a deep breath to ease myself. I dropped the blade to my side with a sigh before putting it back into my scaffold._

_"You don't deserve the effects of my wrath." I looked over to the group of them before bringing my attention back to Merlin. "But this conversation isn't over." _

_"Knowing you, I will hear about it for a millennia if it weren't for your life span."_

I looked back over to Claire with an embarrassed feeling filling my chest. I shouldn't have lost my control over my emotions so quickly in the situations, but I am still human. At least, in the slightest regard.

"I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have reacted as I did."

"Don't be sorry." I turned my attention toward Claire with a shocked look as she was giving me a gentle smile in return. "I would have been the same way, honestly."

"I doubt that with your calm display."

"Oh trust me. You haven't seen me lose my shit yet." I couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh at her response.

"With how I saw you hold a blade, I rather not."

"Just don't get me angry then and we'll be fine." She placed a hand on top of mine as she spoke. "But I doubt by your _display _that you won't have to worry about that." She smirked at the end as I just gave her a confused look.

"Was there something wrong with what I said?" She let out a small laugh as she pulled back her hand from mine. I glanced down toward my hand as the skin there was instantly missing her warmth.

_Huh. I guess my body has been starved within these last 900 years._

I brought my eyes back up toward her to see she had given her attention back toward the fire before us. Her dark hair looking just a shade lighter within the aura of the ember flames as her hazel eyes nearly looked auburn in the fire's glow. A small blush taking over my cheeks as I took in the beauty that was the trollhunter.

_I could understand if it was due to anything else, though._

I pulled my eyes away from her as I brought my attention toward the fire myself.

_Whatever this is, I have been told that emotions like these can only blind you within war._

I glanced down to my right forearm where a nasty long scar covered most of my skin.

_And it has before. When Douxie was threatened by the beast Bular._

I let out a slow breath as I looked over the flames once more.

_I wonder if my old friend is around. It has been centuries after all and even wizards are physically mortal despite their abilities. __Why do I even say old friend, though. He was my _only _friend within those lonely castle walls._

I turned my attention back toward the trollhunter once more. A content smile now gracing her face as it seemed the weight she bore was lifted just the slightest off her shoulders.

_But I don't think adding a new one to that small list would hurt me any._


	22. Home As It Is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this was a random idea that I don't think I wrote to the best of my ability, but I fucking enjoyed it. I'm a huge history nerd so I just randomly had this idea of Jim being a World War whichever soldier and Claire being a nurse at a soldier's ward that he ended up meeting by pure chance and sparks just lighting from then on.
> 
> Is it accurate? Probably not.
> 
> Is it short and kind rushed? Oh definitely.
> 
> Did I enjoy it though? You can bet your ASS I did! lol
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy it! Much love, mates!

_When I first signed up to join the war efforts, I thought I would see some action and then head back home before I knew it. At least, that's what my teachers said. That's what the men in my hometown had said._

_They couldn't have been more wrong in their lives._

_It felt like I've spent more hours at this point in a trench than I had in school at this point. The men in my squadron were kind to me, despite me being the youngest in the platoon. Each of them went by nicknames though which was rather hard to get used to. For example, a man named Aaron went by the name AAARRRGGHH. Another named Francious went by the name Blinks. Another who was only a few years older than me was named Darius yet went by Draal instead._

_What was weird about it though was no one in the squadron got to choose their name, you were given it._

_Mine was Hunter and it wasn't for the normal household name either._

_Why did I receive it?_

I screamed out loud as I was somehow able to pull the German's gun out of his hand before slamming the butt of his rifle against his head as hard as I could. A loud smack rigging within the stairwell as the rest of my squadron went on to check the rest of the building.

_Well. I was rather ruthless in their eyes. A true hunter. Always looking for the next enemy. Always wanting to protect my squad from whatever I could find._

"Watch yourself, Hunter!" I ducked as the sound of glass shattered beside me. The Molotov being chucked at me causing a small bit a fire to creep up around my feet.

_But it did get me in rather sticky situations._

"MOVE YOUR ASS PRIVATE! GO GO GO!" I ran through the short pile of flames with ease as I caught up with the rest of my regent. But before I could move on ahead like I normally would, my commanding officer Vendel stopped me and gave me a quick glance over within his hiding spot behind a brick building. "You're bleeding, Hunter." I reached up and touched my forehead only to feel the thick liquid that he was talking about. "Once we get this attack dealt with and reach the camp, you're going to the ward." I nodded my head as I knew better than the fight the Lieutenant.

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, let's get these Nazi bastards out of here! The faster we deal with them, the sooner we get to rest at the base!" A cheerful roar filled my squadron as we moved toward the next objective.

_The last thing I remember from that mission was the congratulatory pat on the shoulder Vendel gave me as we marched on to where base was. The thing that was on my mind though was the fact that I had to waste space within a soldier's ward that could be used by a man that needed more than I._

_But it was when I met I first met her and _by God _was she a sight for sore eyes._

I swallowed dryly as I looked up toward the tanned skinned nurse. Her hazel eyes were focused as her hands gently wiped the dried blood on my face. A soft smile appearing on her face as she spoke softly to me.

"Lucky for you, the glass only cut your eyebrow. Shouldn't be anything a few stitches and some alcohol can't fix." I swallowed dryly once more as I was able to choke out a reply.

"T-Thank you." She just gave me a soft giggle as she patted a small cotton ball onto my right eyebrow.

"You're welcome. My name's Claire by the way. What was it that your commanding officer called you? Hunter?"

"I-It's a nickname. My real name's James. I like being called Jim though." Her smile just widened as she leaned back from me to grab something off the table beside her.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Jim." She went back to work on my eyebrow as I just watched her. Her hands were gentle as she weaved the stitches into place. A small angelic hum coming from her as she worked. Out of nowhere though, I found myself speaking once more.

"It's pretty." She leaned back from me and gave me a curious look as I stuttered out a reply. "Y-Your name. It's pretty." She giggled at that as she snipped at whatever it as that she weaved into my wound.

"Why thank you, Jim. If you think that's nice though, you should hear my full name."

"Can I?" She just gave me a smirk as she laid her utensils onto the table beside her.

"Maybe the next time I see you. Hopefully for something better than this nasty wound on your brow." I gave her a large smile in reply.

"So whenever I see you outside the ward?"

"You can take it like that, sure."

"When do you get off then?" She gave me a smile before another curious look took over her face.

"Weren't you just stuttering mess before? Where's this confidence coming from?" I shrugged as my smile kept itself on my lips.

"Blame the adrenaline."

"It'll explain why you were able to handle stitches so well."

"It'll explain why I'm able to talk to a beauty like you so calmly."

"You weren't earlier."

"Trust me, give me a few minutes and I'll be stuttering again." She just gave me a gentle laugh as another nurse came over to where she was treating me.

"Nuñez, we need you in bay three." Claire just gave the obviously older lady a nod before turning her attention toward me.

"Five." I gave her a shocked look as I repeated the single word back to her.

"Five?"

"When I get off. It's six." I smiled at her as she before turning her attention toward where she was needed next. A simple glance being flung over her shoulder toward me before heading off toward her next patient.

"Five," I muttered the word to myself as a dopey smile took over my lips. I got to my feet as a sudden wave of joy took over my chest before placing my helmet that sat in my lap onto my head. "Five. I'll be by Five. Don't forget, Lake." I hurried my way out of the ward as I gave the few nurses I saw a nod of thank you.

_I don't think I would if I could._

* * *

I had my hands behind my back as I waited patiently at the bottom of the stairs outside of the soldier's ward. I brought my right hand out from behind me so I could check my watch that was on my wrist.

_Five. Right on the dot._

"Good work today, Rookie."

"Thanks, Gloria." I looked up toward the two voices like the one I figured was Gloria gave me a large smirk before turning her attention to her fellow nurse once more.

"Seems you've got company. Get used to it." I noted the blush that took over Claire's face as she turned her head toward me with a large smile. I swallowed hard as I noted that she was even more beautiful under the setting sun instead of the dreadful ward.

"Here I thought you wouldn't show up." I smiled at her as she came to a stop before me.

"Here I thought you told me the wrong time on purpose." She just gave me a small laugh as her smile widened on her face.

"I was tempted. You're not the first soldier to flirt with me, you know."

"What made you give me the right time then?"

"You're first to treat me like a normal person instead of just a pretty sight." I blushed at her words as I glanced away from her. "That bashfulness worked in your favor too."

"W-Well. I'm thankful for it then."

"I'm Claire Maria Nuñez, by the way."

"James Lake Junior, since we're sharing." She giggled at that as she extended her hand toward me.

"Well, it's wonderful to meet you fully, Jim."

"Wonderful to meet you as well." I took her hand in mine. The soft skin of her hand taking my calloused one with ease. Her hold was gentle against mine and it shot a spark up my arm and through my nervous system. As if knowing I was turning into putty within her hands, she gave a smirk before speaking softly toward me.

"Here I'm wishing this won't be the last time as well."

_And for as long as I stayed at the base, I made sure of it. I met her after her shift at the ward as many times as I could. My squadron would toy with me on the subject saying that I was rather young to spend so much time on the first girl I met overseas, but she wasn't just some girl to me. I learned more about her within that month on base than I had about even my own platoon in the six months I spent with them._

_She was from California, which luckily I was too. She joined the nurse's union for the war right after she graduated high school, despite her parent's wishes for her to go to college instead._

"I wanted to do my part." She looked up toward me as we walked beside each other in the crisp fall wind. "I wanted to help in any way I could."

"Do you regret it? You've must have seen hell in the short time you've spent here." A smile appeared on her face before placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Not even the slightest."

_But when I was stationed in the trenches on the frontlines of France, it never needed our communications between one another. Letters between the both of us being the thing the kept me sane during my time in the trenches._

"What's your lover girl writing to you about now, Hunter?" I chuckled at Draal as he took the spot next to me. "Or is it your buddy Toby from back home? Well, with that handwriting, it might be your mother, honestly."

"No, it's Claire."

"What's she saying?"

"The normal. Stay safe. Keep your head low. She hopes to hear from me again soon. We're in her prayers. The usual."

"Has she said she loved you yet? Any plans to run away together after all of this is through?" I just chuckled at Draal's teasing as I shrugged at his words.

"She already told me she wants to head back home to see her family as soon as she can. But since we found out our hometowns aren't too far away from one another-."

"She's saying the two of you should meet up again after this bullshit ends?" I gave him a simple nod as I read the rest of Claire's letter.

_I'm trying my best to make sure my letters are long for you. Entertainment within those trenches is near to nothing besides each other's company so I figured these will keep your mind off the war for a little bit. Hopefully not enough for you to forget where you are though. Again, I don't want to see you in another ward anytime soon, Lake._

_But I should be getting back to work now. With the war hopefully coming to an end, the number of soldiers we're getting are few and in between, but still enough to get our beds full. I'll write to you as soon as I can. Don't be afraid to write to me as much as you wish. I always find a smile on my lips when I read from you. Makes it feel as if you're still here in a way._

_Much love,_

_Claire Maria~_

I smiled at her words as Draal just gave me a soft slap onto my back.

"You're a lost one now aren't ya?" I felt a blush take over my face as I just gave my fellow soldier a shrug.

"I guess so. But I'm happily lost, in a way."

"Only you, Hunter. Only you."

"Could you blame me though?"

"Honestly? No, I can't. You've got yourself a good girl there. Just don't fuck up for a few more months and you'll be just fine."

"Trust me, I don't plan on it." I folded up Claire's letter and put it into my shirt's pocket before pulling out a small notepad I had hidden away to write back to her as soon as I could.

* * *

I nearly dropped my bag to my feet as Claire rushed into my arms. Her arms looping around my waist as her head rested itself onto my shoulder. I just chuckled at her as I wrapped my arms around her in reply.

"I knew you said you missed me, but I didn't think it was that bad."

"Shush." She tightened her arms around my waist as I just pulled her closer into me. "Seven months was too much."

"We've only known each other for a year, Claire."

"Again, shush." I rubbed small circles into her back as I smiled at her words.

"I missed you too. Don't worry."

"Good." She pulled back from me and gave me a gentle smile in return. "Happy to back on your home soil?" I just smiled at her as she cupped both sides of my face.

"I'm happier to see you again." I noted the blush on her face before she rushed forward and captured my lips as if she has done it a thousand times before. Even though it was the first we've ever shared.

_When I first signed up to join the war efforts, I thought I would see some action and then head back home before I knew it. At least, that's what my teachers said. That's what the men in my hometown had said. Yet t_ _hey couldn't have been more wrong in their lives._

I smiled against her lips as I pulled her close against me.

_But Lord was I okay with it._

We pulled back from each other with large smiles on each other's lips. Her hands still on my cheeks as she whispered softly toward me.

"Let's get you home, soldier."

"What if I don't want to go back to Arcadia Oaks just yet? What if I want to stay here a little longer?"

"I wouldn't say no."

"Perfect." I leaned forward to capture her lips once more. This time pulling a small giggle from the nurse as she looped her arms around my neck. A single thought running through my mind as I held her close.

_I'm already home as it is._


	23. Busted Lips

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quite AU write up based on what a random generator gave me lol. I've done a lot of one-shots on my Tumblr but I noticed I haven't written anything for this after I started doing a lot more of the Daylight December write-ups. I hope you guys enjoy it!

I leaned against the locker as I tried my best to calm my frantic breaths. The taste of blood gracing my tongue as I let out a soft cough.

_How did you expect this to end, jackass? You picked a fight with Steve fucking Palchuk._

I tilted my head back so I could lean it against the lockers. My heart hammering in my chest still from when I ran across the schoolyard to free myself from the athlete's fist and torment.

_I had my reasons though._

I sighed as I dropped my arms to my sides. My hands pushing down onto the floor as I tried my best to keep myself upright.

_Bastard called Toby fat and wouldn't stop trying to toy with him. I couldn't let that happen. Not with the hell I know my best friend has gone through within the years. I couldn't let it. Not when I could help it._

"Jim?" I flitched at the soft voice as I heard hurried footsteps come up beside me. "Jim?" I swallowed dryly as I kept my head tilted back as I knew all too well who it was that kneeling down beside me. I felt a hand placed itself onto my chin as it was forced to turn toward the person beside me instead. My eyes landed on Claire as she looked over my injuries with a worried gleam in her hazel eyes. She brushed her thumb over my bottom lip. A blush took over my face as I knew she was cleaning away some of the blood that must have been spilling from my busted lip.

"Who did this to you?" Her words came out like a soft melody as glided her hand from under my chin and slipped up my cheek while her eyes still scanned my bruises face with a careful gleam within them. I tried my best to smile as well as the injured skin would let me.

"Isn't it obvious?" I chuckled a little as her other hand went to cup my other cheek.

"Why would he-?"

"I started it."

"_Jim_."

"I had my reasons, Claire."

"Were they good ones?"

"As good as I could come up with." I watched as a small smile came across her lips.

"And what were those?" I swallowed dryly before speaking once more.

"He was messing with Toby. I couldn't let it continue. You know just as well as I do that he's gone through enough shit."

"I know." She reached up with her right hand to toy with my hair a little. "You had a good reason then, that's for sure. You still shouldn't have fought him though. You're smarter than that."

"Are you sure?" I gave her a smirk as she just shook her head at me.

"Yeah, I'm sure." She ran her hand through my hair as she gave me a soft smile. "Doesn't mean I enjoy seeing my boyfriend getting beaten up on the regular." I smiled as I felt her press her forehead against mine. I nearly forgot about the pain coursing through my lip as my eyes kept themselves locked with hers.

"I don't think that would be the nicest reoccurrence."

"It's not, honestly." My smile widened as I heard a soft giggle escape the girl in front of me.

"Sorry." She gave me a soft smile as she pulled me into a tight hug so that my head fell onto her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Her fingers toyed with the ends of my hair as her voice spoke to me gently. "You did the right thing, Jim." She placed a small kiss on the side of my head. "It's one of the things I love about you." I smiled against her shoulder as knew all too well that some of the blood from my lip has ended up on her favorite sweater.

"I love you too, Claire." She giggled against me as her voice was still gentle toward me.

"I bet I love you more." I chuckled against her shoulder as I knew I wouldn't win that argument with the Latina.

"I bet you do dealing with my ass."

"It's not dealing when I enjoy it." I buried my face deeper into her shoulder as she scratched gently at my scalp.

_I don't doubt that she loves me none the less though. Busted lips and all._


End file.
